Taxpayers cough up for climate crusader Al Gore lecture on pollution

State taxpayers will fork out more than $320,000 to help fund a conference by former US Vice President Al Gore to lecture Queenslanders on climate crisis amid the Government’s own Adani mine debacle.

GREEN warrior and former US Vice President Al Gore’s vision to train “climate leaders” to “communicate the urgency of the climate crisis” will be subsidised by Queensland taxpayers under a plan that was to dovetail with a new Shorten government.

The multi-millionaire and an outspoken opponent of the Adani coal mine will run the three-day session in Brisbane from June 5-7, as Queensland students as young as eight are encouraged to join a “Minister’s Climate Challenge” to help solve climate problems.

The State Government announced last year the former US Vice President would host the Climate Reality Project. It was before last weekend’s crushing election defeat, which weaponised the delay on Adani.

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It is believed the project was to be bolstered and leveraged by an expected prime minister Bill Shorten, who fought the election on Labor’s twin policies of a 50 per cent renewable energy target and reducing pollution by 45 per cent.

Al Gore giving his updated presentation in Houston, TX in An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power from Paramount Pictures and Participant Media.

The event, which would likely have drawn Mr Shorten to Brisbane for the event if he won office, is to be run during Queensland’s first Climate Week from June 2—8 June.

And by the time Mr Gore arrived in Australia, it is believed Adani’s approvals would still be on hiatus if Federal Labor won.

The Courier-Mail can reveal taxpayers have already forked out $142,000 to hire Brisbane Convention Centre, fund a co-ordinator for the project and provide catering.

The total budget set aside by the Government for the trip is over $320,000.

Ironically, a week after former US President personally trains volunteers, the state’s Co-ordinator-General must finalise Adani’s groundwater approvals after the Premier said she was “fed-up” by delays.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan yesterday labelled the “hypocrisy” a “sequel to the Bob Brown (anti-Adani) convoy”.

“I welcome Al Gore to our great state,’’ Senator Canavan said.

“I hope he can hear the message of how our state’s fantastic coal creates jobs, powers the world and produces a better environment because it is cleaner.

“This sequel to the Bob Brown convoy ramps up the hypocrisy: fewer electric cars, more private jets. When Bob Brown brought a convoy to Queensland, he got the Adani mine going within weeks.

“We Queenslanders should think about what major dam or power station we want Al Gore to target so he can help us get that going too”

In a statement, Ms Enoch said, “The Queensland Government is supporting the climate leadership training by providing funding for the venue and a Brisbane-based Climate Reality Project manager. Al Gore is not being paid by the Queensland Government.

“The Palaszczuk Government is a strong supporter for action on climate change and we are proud that Queensland is hosting this international event.

“The Government is not deciding who attends the Climate Reality Leadership Training, that is a matter for the Climate Reality Project organisers.

“Climate Reality Leadership Training has been held all over the world, including in Melbourne and Sydney.”

In 2017, Mr Gore told Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor, “The Adani mine doesn’t have its financing, I hope it never gets its financing,” he said. “It’s not my place to meddle with your politics, but truly, this is nuts.”