OBAMA COMMENTS MUDDY WATERS

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While US President Barak Obama was all too happy to praise Australia’s ‘critical’ participation in his 7:30 Report interview last night, North Queensland Senator Ian Macdonald said his actions at the Copenhagen conference suggest otherwise.

“On the final day of the Copenhagen conference, when it was clear the conference was doomed to fail, President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon attended an exclusive meeting with 21 influential nations in an attempt to salvage the conference,” Senator Macdonald said.

“It was no doubt a blow to the collective egos of Prime Minister Rudd and Climate Change Minister Wong when they were ignored at the depth of the conference.

“President Obama’s statements last night about Mr. Rudd’s ‘critical’ participation seem at odds to his decision to exclude Australia from the very high level negotiations held at the private meeting on the last day.

“Patronising comments from one world leader to another serve only to muddy the waters around issues like Climate Change.

“In Northern Australia things are much clearer, if Mr Rudd is ever able to get his Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) through the Parliament, the North will pay the price.

“The CPRS Mr. Rudd proposes will destroy mining and processing industries in Northern Australia and wipe out thousands of jobs.

“The true messages from the Copenhagen Conference are that Australia was not considered important enough to attend one of the key meetings and that no binding agreement was reached.

“It is clear from the true outcomes of the Copenhagen Conference, that if Australia introduces Mr. Rudd’s CPRS before the rest of the world acts then our economy will be ruined for no benefit whatsoever.

END

16 April 2010

Media contact Gordon Terry      (07) 4771 3066   or   0427 960 255                                           

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