ScoMo and 'climate denier' Craig Kelly slammed on air by Piers Morgan
Liberal MP Craig Kelly has come under fire after denying the links between climate change and Australia’s bushfire crisis in an interview on UK television.
Speaking to Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, the Coalition backbencher said he believed there has been global warming but denied that it has contributed to the severity of the current bushfire season.
“To try and make out – as some politicians have – to hijack this debate and exploit this tragedy, to push their ideological barrow that somehow or other the Australian government could have done something to reduce its climate emissions that would have reduced these bushfires is just complete nonsense,” Kelly said.
“If you look at our science, if you look at the long-term record rainfalls in Australia there is simply no trend.”
Craig Kelly MP defends Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s response to the wildfire crisis and says there isn’t a link between climate change and bushfires.@piersmorgan | @susannareid100 | #GMB pic.twitter.com/Mz0dxJSK5T
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 6, 2020
When the show’s meteorologist Laura Tobin asked about Australia’s climate emission reductions pledge, Kelly said Australia has had the world’s highest uptake of renewable energy.
“Since 2008 to 2018, I’m talking per capita, we have had the highest uptake of energy than anywhere in the world. Three-and-a-half times more than Germany... They’re the numbers, those are the facts,” Kelly said.
“Australia have just had, in 2019, their highest year temperature wise ever recorded and their driest year ever record with forecast temperatures that go back over 100 years,” Tobin responded.
“At the moment we want everyone in the world to commit to lower our global temperature rise. You have the second highest carbon emission per person on earth and you are burying your head in the sand. This is a climate emergency. You’re not a climate sceptic, you’re a climate denier.”
Kelly also defended Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s controversial Hawaii trip, saying the responsibility for responding to the bushfires laid on the state premiers.
“The only thing the national leader can actually do on this is basically wait until he gets response from those state premiers asking more resources,” Kelly said.
“Any time one of those state premiers has come forward and said we need something, the Prime Minister has done that – he’s shown leadership.”
Morgan responded, “That was a dereliction of his duty as leader of Australia. You’re facing now one of the greatest crises you’ve ever faced.
“Then there is you Kelly, with respect, a senior politician who still doesn’t think this has anything to do with the heating up of the planet. Nothing to see here. Nothing to worry about as virtually your entire country is eviscerated about fires. It is quite extraordinary.”
Since the fires began blazing in Australia in August, at least 8.4 million hectares have been burned, The Guardian reported. More than 1,700 homes have been destroyed and an estimated 500 million animals have died.