Al Gore tells Tony Abbott: ‘Change or get out of the way’

AL GORE has warned Tony Abbott to “change or get out of the way” of sensible environmental policy, labelling the Prime Minister a “straight-out climate denier”.

AL GORE has warned Tony Abbott to “change or get out of the way” of sensible environmental policy, labelling the Prime Minister a “straight-out climate denier”.

Speaking to Vice after forging an unlikely alliance with Clive Palmer, the former US vice-president said “silly” initiatives like the government’s direct action plan had “never worked anywhere.”

Mr Gore also praised the Palmer United Party leader, who has backed a carbon emissions trading scheme with a starting price of zero dollars, but only if Australia’s main trading partners adopt a similar mechanism, for putting forward a plan that was “so much better than would have been the case”.

“He does have an unusual style,” Mr Gore said of the Australian mining magnate. “But I think that whatever unusual features to his style there may be, deep down there’s absolutely no question in my mind that he has a sense of social justice, he has a keen sense of right and wrong. ... He wants to make the world a better place.”

Strange bedfellows ... Clive Palmer and former United States vice-president Al Gore at their press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

Mr Gore also said Mr Abbott — a “straight-out climate denier” — would soon find himself on the wrong side of history.

“I think we’re not far from a point where people will look back on climate denialists as extremely odd, self destructive,” he said.

Mr Gore’s message to the PM: “Please, either change or get out of the way. Because Australia wants to have the kind of sensible policies that the rest of the world is moving toward.

“It’s coming. We’ve won this. The only question is how much time it’s going to take and how much damage is going to be programmed into the climate system in the meantime.”