Vikki Campion: Household budgets strained to the limit, but climate elite wants us to give $100b

While despots and dictators demand $100 billion for a future fund to deal with climate change, Aussie mums are struggling to put food on the table right now, writes Vikki Campion.

You see her break down at the checkout. Nappies, baby formula, mince and fruit spread along the conveyor belt before her under harsh fluorescents — the queue behind her watching, waiting, judging.

The baby in the trolley babbles as the machine flashes, “declined”. She is rummaging through her purse, red in humiliation, grabbing Sunday dinner off the belt.

Someone’s waving a card. “Don’t worry, love, I’ve been there, I’ll cover for you.” But the humiliation is too much, and she’s rushed her empty cart and babbling bub away.

This is Australia in 2022.

If only the billionaire elite and their private jets, so quick to descend on the glamorous resort town Sharm El Sheikh for the COP27 climate conference sponsored by Coca-Cola, could line up with Aldi mums, worried about what’s left in their account after the power bill, fuel bill and soaring mortgage are paid.

Matt Kean meeting King Charles ahead of COP 27. Picture: Twitter

The primary target of COP27, in the Las Vegas of Egypt, is for developed countries like Australia to come up with $100 billion each year to pay despots a future fund for climate costs.

It’s another tax on us to find $100 billion a year to pay for a prediction that hasn’t happened.

Climate catastrophising idolisation is punctured with apocalyptic visions of hell, as we are told that our planet will soon become unliveable.

Remember when our kids weren’t going to know what snow was by 2008, or rain by 2009?

If the seas are rising at such an alarming rate that Cuba and Venezuela are soon to be washed off the map, as dictators and communists told COP27, then why has beachfront property never been as expensive in Australia?

Why doesn’t that ring alarm bells for anyone with an analytical mind?

Have wealthy alarmists sold their harbourfront mansions? No, they’ve bought more. Wouldn’t they be worthless assets about to be washed away?

Venezuela’s dictator President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech at the leaders summit of the COP27 climate conference. Picture: AFP

As our farmer’s fertiliser costs increase by $20,000 a load and the cost of running irrigation soars to $2000 a month, as our local butchers invest in energy-efficient appliances and solar, and still see their power bills go up year on year, the person who ultimately pays is the mother at the checkout. Neither party disclosed this at the election.

From motels to manufacturers, power brokers are advising their $1 million power bills will double into multi-millions by 2023.

In regional Australia, timber manufacturers who provide materials for houses have set themselves up with transformers, which they need to pay extra for — another cost to achieve supply security that will be passed on to new homes.

Some businesses are turning off their lights. Others can create their power sources by burning waste products. Others are left with the choice of passing the increases on to the lady at the checkout or going broke.

Saturday Telegraph columnist Vikki Campion: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Perhaps the reason despots and dictators could be so quick to board private jets to the climate meeting where billionaires rub shoulders with environmental industry lobbyists and government ministers is not for love, but money.

While NSW Treasurer Matt Kean and federal International Development Minister Pat Conroy in the Australian delegation congratulated each other, providing a photo gallery of Kean posing with UN officials, King Charles and fangirling over UK MPs, poorer countries, who want to live off our ticket, are expecting them to hand over your dough.

Bruno Rodríguez, the government representative of Cuba, quoted the luminary who took a progressive liberal island to a third-world backwater, Fidel Castro, on landing at COP27, warning developed nations to stop “postponing commitments and avoiding responsibilities” and instead to speed up and finalise negotiations on a new financial goal.

We have never seen more direct instruction since the last bank robbery.

“This financial support is not a favour to the countries of the South. It is an obligation of the developed countries due to their historical responsibility,” his translated Spanish said.

“Developing countries deserve fair compensation for being the scenario where the consequences of climate change are most harshly reflected.”

In other words, Australians have to pay the price for forecasts.

Neither Conroy nor Kean show selfies with the dictator of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, who told COP27 the way to save humanity was “profound changes in economic systems”.

Maduro flew halfway across the globe to go to a meeting sponsored by Coca-Cola to speak against the “elites of capitalism”.

“The battle given against imperial aggression has made Venezuela have a voice that is listened to, loved and admired by the people. At #COP27 we received messages of affection and solidarity from social movements. I thank you for your sublime manifestations!” he said in translated Spanish.

Officially, Russia, China, Bolivia, Cuba, Turkey and Syria have made statements supporting Maduro.

Heavily redacted DFAT documents released under FOI say Australia does not recognise him as president.

So is it any surprise that at COP27 the most welcome official was a dictator, who has been kicked off the Human Rights Council, and whose intelligence service has been accused of torture, sexual abuse, and inhuman and degrading treatment?

Yet we need to find another $100 billion for them?

Let’s go back to the checkout and find out how much of our groceries should go to this dictator.

Governments don’t have money – they tax yours.

The promises Conroy and Kean make flash up at the checkout when you pay for the basic essentials.

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