Kevin Rudd

David Spratt, co-author of Climate Code Red, shows that the Rudd Government's climate change policies are a hollow pretence at doing what is urgently needed to prevent the looming global catastrophe.

Originally published in the Age of 19 Oct 09. See also: www.carbonequity.info.

"Mr Rudd is responsible for one of the highest immigration rates in decades so his line on the current influx of asylum seekers is simply a smoke screen to avoid public discussion on the bigger issue of the immigration blow-out."
"Were Australia a compassionate nation, it would be taking in more asylum seekers and fewer skilled migrants, according to Australia’s only environment group dedicated to lower population, Sustainable Population Australia (SPA)." (Sandra Kanck, SPA National President)

Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Treasurer Wayne Swan claims to be resigned to an Australian population of “over 36 million” people by the year 2050! This is an understatement. According to our present growth rate, we will have doubled today's population of nearly 22 million by 2046. The treasurer is being evasive or lacks arithmetical skills. We will be facing more than 44 million by 2046, and the numbers will keep escalating - because our government policies are designed to drive population growth upwards. And why should our lifestyles and our suburbs be a resource for developers and a growth phenomenon that is contrary to our interests?

Judy Bamberger asks of the Federal Government, "Instead of wasting media minutes, your effort, and my (taxpayer's) money calling for Turnbull's head, focus instead on establishing reasonable policies to help our country move toward a more sustainable life style."

It was entirely predictable that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would concede that the Copenhagen summit in December would fail to reach a global emissions reduction deal. Despite his pre-election rhetoric, he is worse than a climate change sceptic and has failed even his own aims on carbon emission cuts!

The way in which governments, to whom we pay taxes in order to safeguard our welfare, then expect individuals to then shoulder much of the responsibility of dealing with natural disasters is analogous to passengers on the Titanic being required to bring aboard their own liferafts.

Writer and ecologist, Hugh Spencer, kicks off discussion here about Kevin Rudd's proposed $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. "The only component of the scheme that I can wholeheartedly agree with is the roof insulation - but even then, it requires a far more coherent energy target - as 'roof insulation' can mean damn near anything...."

After years of telling us that environmental impact has nothing to do with population numbers, the government admits it is the major factor. Futhermore they would rather subject us to climate change than simply downsize immigration.

On Wednesday 5 November 2008, I attended a community cabinet at Launceston, where I asked Kevin Rudd when he was going to get realistic about population and economic growth. Report by Catherine Case:

How is increasing the population by a million people every three years going to contribute to lowering Australia's carbon footprint? Don't ask big business, or the ALP machine, both addicted to "growth" defined by corporate fundamentalism, which means higher per capita consumption and more consumers.

So says Paul Sheehan of the Sydney Morning Herald, in an unusually frank and honest article in today's edition.

Professor Ross Garnaut claimed in his Climate Change Review Draft Report that public ownership of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority could restrict future development and competitiveness in the national electricity market. This appears to have been seized upon by Kevin Rudd as an excuse to privatise the Snowy Hydro in spite of the fact he promised before the 2007 elections to keep it in public hands.