Tony Abbott refuses to comment on Morrison’s net-zero 2050 plan

While Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull have been making noise about Australia's net-zero plans, one ex-PM has been curiously quiet.

He famously declared the science of climate change was “crap” and that the Paris agreement was “aspirational only, it is not binding, it is not mandatory”.

But former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is taking his cues from silent movie star Greta Garbo over whether he supports Scott Morrison’s plan for Australia to adopt a net zero by 2050 target.

As the Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce urges the Prime Minister not to “rush” and Senator Matt Canavan dismisses the idea as “corporate bullsh*t”, Mr Abbott is maintaining a mysterious silence.

Climate change campaigners Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd remain on a unity ticket over the move.

However, Mr Abbott has repeatedly declined to endorse Mr Morrison’s policy when contacted by news.com.au.

And while he does sometimes adopt a policy to leave the day-to-day political machinations to the current crop of politicians, he’s been happy to comment on the climate change debate in the past.

His confidantes say that as a “conviction politician” his views haven’t changed on opposing a net zero by 2050 target.

While former PMs have flocked to congratulate Scott Morrison on his net-zero target for 2050, Tony Abbott has repeatedly refused to comment

Although, it’s also true he’s held multiple positions in the climate change space, so much so that his critics dubbed him a “a weather vane.”

In 2009, Mr Turnbull described Tony Abbott’s views on climate change as “bulls**t” and vowed to cross the floor and vote with Labor when the legislation was brought before parliament.

Vowing to tell a few “home truths about the farce that the Coalition’s policy, of lack of policy, on climate change has descended into” he let rip at his successor.

“They do not believe in human caused global warming. As Tony observed on one occasion “climate change is crap” or if you consider his mentor, Senator Minchin, the world is not warming, it’s cooling and the climate change issue is part of a vast left wing conspiracy to deindustrialise the world,” he said.

“Now politics is about conviction and a commitment to carry out those convictions. The Liberal Party is currently led by people whose conviction on climate change is that it is ‘crap’ and you don’t need to do anything about it.

“Tony himself has in just four or five months publicly advocated the blocking of the ETS, the passing of the ETS, the amending of the ETS and if the amendments were satisfactory passing it, and now the blocking of it,” Mr Turnbull said.

“His only redeeming virtue in this remarkable lack of conviction is that every time he announced a new position to me he would preface it with “Mate, mate, I know I am a bit of a weather vane on this, but …”

The former PM has been making waves in other areas, meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei in October.

The Nationals remain at an impasse over the policy despite a four-hour meeting on Sunday.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said the Prime Minister’s policy was “corporate bullsh*t.”

”Net zero emissions is the public policy embodiment of corporate bullsh*t. Anyone who has worked for a large corporation has sat through mind-numbing PowerPoint slide shows, with liberal helpings of buzzwords like “synergy”, “thought leadership” and “data-driven”,’’ he said.

”I haven’t worked as a corporate slave for a while but I am sure “Net Zero” (or the latest offshoot “Mission Zero”) now appears as a template stamp on every slide.

”Net zero is the ultimate corporate buzzword and that’s why so many woke corporations have fallen for it. Many small businesses, who understand the day to day realities of meeting payroll with cash, and can’t use accountants to fudge a P & L, remain opposed.

”Many buzzwords are harmless, and when working as a corporate robot you can just mouth lip service to them, laugh at the latest Dilbert cartoon, and get on with life. But net zero emissions is not a harmless buzzword.

”If the Australian Government formally adopts a net zero emissions target it will weaponise the bureaucracy against any major job creating, nation building project in this country. The next time someone wants to build an Adani mine, Canberra will ask how will you OFFSET the emissions. The next time someone wants to build a dam (yes dams create emissions), Canberra will ask how will you OFFSET the emissions. The next time someone wants to build an airstrip on a Great Barrier Reef island to open a resort, Canberra will ask how will you OFFSET the emissions.”

Senator Canavan said the other reason why Australian should reject net zero is that it is a “massive distraction against the major threat to our country: China.”

”President Xi Jinping is not even attending the Glasgow conference. In fairness to him, I am not sure how he could keep a straight face while the west commits collective economic suicide,’’ he said.

”While we have been distracted with the net zero madness, this week China demonstrated the world’s first nuclear-capable, hypersonic missile. According to the Financial Times, the missile test “caught US intelligence by surprise.”

Originally published as Tony Abbott refuses to comment on Morrison’s net-zero 2050 plan