Al Gore told to avoid Clive Palmer's environment circus
EXCLUSIVE
Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer and former US Vice President Al Gore at their joint press conference. Photo: AAP
Al Gore was urged by his US-based advisers to pull out of the
Clive Palmer press conference when it became clear the Palmer United
Party would not link its support for the abolition of the carbon tax to
an immediate move to an emissions trading scheme.
Key figures behind the year's strangest political alliance
have confirmed Mr Palmer was shown legal advice that Australia could
easily move directly from a fixed price on carbon to an ETS.
When Mr Palmer could not convince his three incoming
senators to place conditions on their support to repeal the carbon tax,
Mr Gore's advisers told him to pull out of a public appearance with Mr
Palmer.
''There was no agreement, it had fallen over four times, but
Gore overrode the advice he was getting and said 'if this guy is willing
to save the clean energy elements [the Renewable Energy Target, the
Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Climate Change Authority] I
will stand beside him','' a source said.
As a former vice-president of the US, Mr Gore has a full-time
chief of staff and a communications adviser. As chairman of the Climate
Reality Project, a multinational charity, he has personal staff and
advisers.
In Australia, he was represented by Don Henry, a director of
Mr Gore's Climate Reality Project and the former head of the Australian
Conservation Foundation.
Mr Henry confirmed Mr Gore made his own decision on joining
Mr Palmer for the most talked about Canberra press conference since the
implosion of Labor.
''They had a full and frank discussion, they had significant
agreement that the rest of the world was starting to move on these
issues. What President Obama has been saying on the need for action was
important as was provinces in China that are adopting emissions trading
schemes,'' Mr Henry said.
Flanked by Mr Gore, Mr Palmer pledged his support for a zero
dollar ETS that could be activated when the world reached agreement on
tackling climate change.
Mr Gore has been heavily criticised for adding legitimacy to
an event that was less about action on climate change and more about
terminating one of the world's first attempts to put a price on carbon.
He later insisted that the announcement was not about
dismantling a working climate change policy. ''The effect of what he
announced is to save most of the important elements of the Australian
climate policy. The Renewable Energy Target has been the element of
Australian policy responsible for most of the carbon reductions,'' Mr
Gore told Vice website.
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Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer and former US Vice President Al Gore at their joint press conference. Photo: AAP
Al Gore was urged by his US-based advisers to pull out of the
Clive Palmer press conference when it became clear the Palmer United
Party would not link its support for the abolition of the carbon tax to
an immediate move to an emissions trading scheme.
Key figures behind the year's strangest political alliance
have confirmed Mr Palmer was shown legal advice that Australia could
easily move directly from a fixed price on carbon to an ETS.
When Mr Palmer could not convince his three incoming
senators to place conditions on their support to repeal the carbon tax,
Mr Gore's advisers told him to pull out of a public appearance with Mr
Palmer.
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''There was no agreement, it had fallen over four times, but
Gore overrode the advice he was getting and said 'if this guy is willing
to save the clean energy elements [the Renewable Energy Target, the
Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Climate Change Authority] I
will stand beside him','' a source said.
As a former vice-president of the US, Mr Gore has a full-time
chief of staff and a communications adviser. As chairman of the Climate
Reality Project, a multinational charity, he has personal staff and
advisers.
In Australia, he was represented by Don Henry, a director of
Mr Gore's Climate Reality Project and the former head of the Australian
Conservation Foundation.
Mr Henry confirmed Mr Gore made his own decision on joining
Mr Palmer for the most talked about Canberra press conference since the
implosion of Labor.
''They had a full and frank discussion, they had significant
agreement that the rest of the world was starting to move on these
issues. What President Obama has been saying on the need for action was
important as was provinces in China that are adopting emissions trading
schemes,'' Mr Henry said.
Flanked by Mr Gore, Mr Palmer pledged his support for a zero
dollar ETS that could be activated when the world reached agreement on
tackling climate change.
Mr Gore has been heavily criticised for adding legitimacy to
an event that was less about action on climate change and more about
terminating one of the world's first attempts to put a price on carbon.
He later insisted that the announcement was not about
dismantling a working climate change policy. ''The effect of what he
announced is to save most of the important elements of the Australian
climate policy. The Renewable Energy Target has been the element of
Australian policy responsible for most of the carbon reductions,'' Mr
Gore told Vice website.
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