2018-06-05
The Prime Minister touring drought-stricken NSW and QLD telling farmers they have to be resilient and adapt to climate change is a slap in the face when his Government is failing to take any real action in the face of climate catastrophe, say the Greens.
“Rapidly reducing carbon pollution is the best thing the Turnbull government can do to help our farmers. That means ending the system of rigged politics that favours Mr Turnbull’s fossil fuel industry mates at the expense of our farmers and environment,” says Greens agriculture spokesperson Senator Janet Rice.
“In a scenario of 4 degrees of warming, which is where we’re currently heading, wheat growing areas like Dubbo will have the climate and water conditions of the central Australian deserts. Our wheat growers and their kids inheriting the farm can’t just adapt and become more resilient to that.”
“It’s good to see new Agriculture Minister Littleproud has started working with the Agriculture Ministerial Council and the farming sector on drought and climate change adaptation. But that doesn’t change the fact there were more than four wasted years under disgraced former Minister Barnaby Joyce and that the Prime Minister is doing bugger all right now to deal with the economy-wide causes of dangerous global warming.”
Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said that Malcolm Turnbull now had to choose between farmers or coal.
“Australia can have a great climate for farmers or we can keep digging up coal, but we can’t have both.”
“Hallelujah that Malcolm Turnbull is finally talking about how climate change is smashing our farmers. But if Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t stop boosting coal, he is condemning farmers to more droughts.”
Media Release Agriculture and Rural Affairs