EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

London: Tony Abbott says voters should beware the science of climate change but argues that higher temperatures "might even be beneficial" because "far more people die in cold snaps".

The former prime minister made the comments in a speech in London on Tuesday to the Global Warming Policy foundation which was established in the lead up to the 2009 Copenhagen conference by the climate sceptic and member of the House of Lords Nigel Lawson.

Sir Michael Hintze, an Australian-born, London-based hedge fund owner who helped bankroll the Brexit campaign, was among the guests. Mr Abbott singled out former Liberal prime minister John Howard and the Cardinal George Pell, who is facing sexual abuse allegations in Victoria, as previous Australian speakers.