G20 Brisbane: Shorten criticises Abbott's 'stubborn isolationism' on climate change ahead of summit

Updated

As world leaders gather on the eve of the G20, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has accused Tony Abbott of "stubborn isolationism" on climate change, which he said could damage Australia's international trade down the track.

Mr Shorten took aim at the Government's insistence that climate change was not the main game at the G20.

For him, the US-China agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions offered Australia a historic chance to put climate change on the leaders' agenda at the G20 summit.

"Just imagine, in the lead up to next year's Paris conference, we could be talking about the Brisbane declaration as a turning point in organising international global climate change negotiations," Mr Shorten said.

"The Brisbane G20 could become famous for the fusing of economic, environmental and security imperatives for climate action."

Climate change became a hot topic after China and the United States struck a surprise deal this week to reduce or cap carbon emissions, but Treasurer Joe Hockey said the climate change debate must not distract from the greater goal at the G20 summit to discuss the creation of more jobs around the world.

Mr Hockey told ABC News Breakfast issues such as climate change and Ebola would undoubtedly be topics of discussion but that it was vital these issues did not overshadow the need to promote economic growth.

"Ebola will be discussed, climate will be discussed, a range of things, but we cannot distract from the challenge of meeting job opportunities that are necessary for growth," Mr Hockey said.

Refusal to act on climate change will affect trade position: Shorten

Mr Shorten accused the Prime Minister of dealing Australia out just as the world's biggest players changed the game on carbon.

"Their focus on the future exposes the Government's short-term approach," he said.

"Our Prime Minister said, 'I'm focussing not on what might happen in 16 years' time. I'm focusing on what we're doing now.'

"I fear it will not be long before this stubborn isolationism takes a toll on our international competitiveness."

In a speech to the Sydney Institute last night, Mr Shorten said Australia could not expect the rest of the world to do the heavy lifting on greenhouse gas pollution while ignoring its own inaction.

"Sooner, rather than later, Australia's refusal to act on climate change will affect our trade position," Mr Shorten said.

"I would not be surprised if, in future international trade agreements, that there'll be an inclusion of a carbon price equivalent as a mandatory condition.

"This could become all too relevant if any impending free trade agreement with China becomes subject to a two-stage process."

The Government said climate change was likely to come up in discussions at the G20 because energy efficiency was on the formal agenda.

But Mr Abbott said it was a consensus group and the appropriate forum to discuss individual countries' responses is next month's climate change conference in Lima, leading up to UN's climate conference in Paris in a year's time.

"Surely Tony Abbott, the man who infamously described himself as a weather vane on climate change, can tell which way the international breeze is blowing," Mr Shorten said.

He said only a cooperative, international approach could tackle the world's biggest problems.

"It is not good enough to say yes to Iraq, but no to action on Ebola," Mr Shorten said.

"It is not good enough to say yes to free trade agreements, but no to global action on climate change.

"It is not good enough to attack the unemployed, yet ignore tax havens."

Topics: climate-change, world-politics, federal-government, australia

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