Lord Deben, who served as John Gummer under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and was the secretary of state for the environment from 1993 to 1997, is deeply critical of the Coalition's repeal of carbon pricing legislation. Photograph: Richard Gardner/REX
Tony Abbott doesn’t take climate science seriously and the repeal of the carbon price is “reckless” and “deeply shaming”, according to a former UK Conservative party environment minister.
Lord Deben, who served in Margaret Thatcher’s government as John Gummer, told Guardian Australia the Australian government was out of step with centre-right politicians from around the world on the urgency of tackling climate change.
“I haven’t met an Australian who is not deeply ashamed of this government, most of whom voted for Abbott,” he said. “How can you say ‘we don’t mind what 97% of scientists tell us, we are going to stick two fingers up and do it anyway’?
“Conservatives around the world are taking action on climate change, including Britain and Germany. It’s in the DNA of conservatives to hand on a better world to your children and I hate that Australia is letting down conservatives around the world.”
Deben said he met Abbott last year, when the prime minister was opposition leader, to gauge his position in climate change.
“Quite clearly, he was someone who refuses to accept the science of climate change,” said Deben, who is chairman of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change. “He referred to ideas put forward by a small number of people whose views aren’t accepted by any serious scientist in the world.
“I think future generations will ask ‘what did you do to stop the world being overwhelmed by climate change?’. Mr Abbott will have to answer that and I don’t know how he can look at children in the eye. His attitude, if everyone else did the same, would condemn the poorest people in the world to an impossible life.
“I don’t think conservatives have ever taken that view before. Australia, as a great country, knows better than that, I think.”
