PM Abbott lies to French president on climate

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says it is a complete deception for Tony Abbott to claim he's acting on climate change with $10 billion in the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, when he plans to abolish that very instrument, and when his government describes it as a complete waste of taxpayers' money.

"This is not a cheeky sleight of hand. This is Australia's climate denying Prime Minister telling outright lies to world leaders and international media," said Senator Milne.

"Tony Abbott does not intend to ‘do more' to tackle climate change. He intends to undo more, and add the CEFC to the scrapheap he's built with our emissions trading scheme and our mining tax.

"The Abbott government has stated over and over again that it considers the CEFC to be a waste of money which it will do everything in its power to abolish, but today Tony Abbott had the gall to brag about the CEFC in front of the French president and foreign press. He did the same thing earlier this week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Australia must contribute to the international Green Climate Fund. It is a responsibility we cannot shirk. No amount of domestic action or inaction can change that, and the Greens won't let Tony Abbott get away with his bald faced lies."

Quotes from Senate Hansard, October 30 2014:

Senator Cormann: ...it does remain the government's policy that we are committed to the abolition of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA.

Senator Milne pointed out that, given that Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party are opposed to the abolition of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA, as long as neither Labor, the Greens nor the Palmer United Party and Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party change their mind, it is bleedingly obvious that, even though that might be the government's policy, we will not have the opportunity to give effect to that policy, as disappointed as we might be by that.

The government has agreed not to bring back the legislation to repeal the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA this year. However, it remains our policy to pursue and eventually implement that abolition of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA because, in particular in relation to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, we consider it a complete waste of taxpayers money.