2019-09-17
The Liberals have cemented their position as a party of science denial by seeking to establish a parliamentary inquiry into the science on the impact of farm run off on the health of the Great Barrier Reef, said the Greens.
“After years of the Government denying climate science and saying water quality not climate is the biggest threat to the Reef, now it is proposing an inquiry into whether water quality really is a problem for the Reef. This Government is at war with science and the Reef will suffer for it,” Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens, Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said.
“The Greens are urging the crossbench to stand with the Greens and Labor to block this inquiry from proceeding, not to give succour to the latest culture war against science by dinosaur backbenchers. This inquiry would be like inquiring into whether smoking causes lung cancer – a total waste of the Parliament’s time.”
“Climate denial and a lack of climate action has already seen the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef deteriorate from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ on the Federal Government’s watch.
“Now two Queensland LNP Senators are proposing an inquiry in an attempt to deny the evidence that inappropriate farming practices contribute to the stress on our already fragile Reef.
“The Government is overrun with science deniers, who without any relevant qualifications are calling into question the validity of science - to suit the agenda of big donors and vested interests.
“Former Chief Scientist and now chair of the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel Professor Ian Chubb has already sent a strongly worded letter to relevant Government Ministers confirming the absolute clarity of the peer-reviewed science about the Reef [1].
“Peer-reviewed science should not be debated by non-scientifically trained politicians who are in the pocket of their donors.
“The science is clear, we must act now for our best chance to protect the Reef and the more than 65,000 tourism jobs that rely on it. We need urgent climate action, an end to coal and a just transition towards renewable energy, and strong action on water quality and Crown of Thorns to save what’s left of our Reef,” she said.