floods are the coal miners fault- bob brown, page-130

FROM ABC website.

Maybe TASSIE can sucede from AUSTRALIA and have BOB BROWN all to themselves, and do the majority a favour.

"Greens leader says blaming Queensland coal companies for floods not opportunistic.

Monday, 17/01/2011

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has defended his party's stance that Australia's coal industry contributed to the floods in Queensland and should pay more for the recovery.

Mr Brown says Australia is facing greater calamity due to climate change and the coal industry should shoulder a lot of the blame.

'We know that climate change is due to the burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal" he says.

"I've called on the Australian Government to ensure that the tax on super profits on the coal industry to be levied in full [his preferred level of 40 per cent] to help the country pay for future flood, bushfire and drought disasters caused by climate change."

Mr Brown has defended the timing of his comments which have been described by parliamentary members and industry as 'rank, political opportunism'.

"When there is a disaster like this we look at cause and effect in an open and democratic society" he says.

"My critics are openly sceptical about climate change and don't believe we should be having a check on the burning of fossil fuels, especially the coal industry.

"Well, if I'm wrong about these very destructive and howling floods, let them state that.

"But to say that we can't talk about it until sometime into the future, which will be months and years before there's a recovery from the floods, is to say the subject is taboo."