Q&A recap: Malcolm Turnbull lashes Coalition on climate change

After being quizzed on ‘climate change do-nothing’ Liberals, the former PM didn’t hold back as he farewelled host Tony Jones.

The ABC chose the fitting title of “Finale” to farewell Tony Jones from Q&A on Monday night after a 12-year stint as host of the national broadcaster’s top-rating panel show.

Jones’s last hurrah went by without incident: There were no flying shoes, no questions from former terror suspects, and no one collapsed live on air.

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Labor Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese were joined on the panel by author Sisonke Msimang, CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, Patricia Turner, and Nobel laureate and vice-chancellor of ANU, Brian Schmidt.

The show opened with back-to-back questions on the link between climate change and the bushfire emergency that is currently gripping the east coast of Australia.

One audience member asked if Australia needed a “national crisis management plan”, while another wanted to know if the government was failing to act on climate change because it’s in “the pocket of the coal lobby”.

Mr Turnbull said climate change was not the cause of the bushfires, but it was part of the puzzle.

“We are seeing more and hotter fires,” he said.

“It is the consequence of a hotter and drier climate ... you get more fires and hotter fires.”

“The challenge has changed. You can’t keep on responding in the same way you have in the past.”

Now that the “climate change do-nothings are in power”, does Malcolm Turnbull regret not having stuck to his beliefs when he was Prime Minister? #QandA pic.twitter.com/vLzo9EGyig

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 9, 2019

The former prime minister was quizzed on the “climate change do-nothings” in his own party and he didn’t hold back.

“The Coalition has a fundamental problem in dealing with climate change because there is a group within the Liberal Party and the National Party who deny the reality of climate change.”

He said there were elements of the Liberal Party willing to “blow up a government … my government” if the party’s leadership “dared to address” the issue of cutting emissions.

Mr Turnbull maintained Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had always been rock solid in their support of the doomed national energy guarantee.

“They know that the policy on climate is … Government’s policy on climate is being held to ransom by a group of deniers within the party.”

But it wasn’t just Mr Turnbull who faced tough questions on climate change.

Mr Albanese faced a “please explain” moment over this move to back coal exports ahead of a tour of regional Queensland.

Anthony Albanese will tour Queensland mining regions but is it time to consider how to transition to more sustainable future jobs? #QandA pic.twitter.com/lQLlojyy8a

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 9, 2019

Mr Albanese grappled with the issue that plagued the Labor Party and his predecessor in the lead-up to the ALP’s disastrous performance in the May federal election: the party’s conflicting stance on coal and climate change.

His answer made clear that Labor still plans to please both environmentally conscious progressives and mining communities in the Hunter Valley and Queensland.

Mr Albanese argued there was “no substitute” for “metallurgical coal”.

“The majority of Queensland coal exports are metallurgical coal that’s used for steel,” Mr Albanese argued.

“We need to be strong players globally because it’s through those international agreements that will change the demand for coal.”

Msimang jumped in and told Mr Albanese he needed a transition plan for coal miners because he couldn’t just “go bang” and expect thousands of workers to move to clean energy jobs.

“The majority of the lights are being kept on here with fossil fuels. What we need to do is transition so that doesn’t happen,” Msimang said.

“You can’t just do that in an instance.”

How do we ensure that our elected representatives demonstrate integrity, answer questions and remain accountable to the people? #QandA pic.twitter.com/dLzCu1J8d2

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 9, 2019

An audience member asked about integrity and accountability, a timely question that came on the same day a study from ANU revealed public trust in government had a reached an all-time low.

The Australian Election Survey found just 25 per cent of people believed the government could be trusted and to answer the question Jones turned away from the two politicians.

“It comes down to this very short-termism,” Professor Schmidt argued.

Ms Turner said the public’s confidence in government had been undermined by attacks on press freedom.

“Most of the journalists in the press gallery would be wondering why they ever got into the profession,” Ms Turner said.

“The role of journalists has been belittled … They ask a question are just ignored.

“Journalists’ homes have been raided … that’s undermined our confidence.”

In the end, Jones and the program’s longstanding executive producer Peter McEvoy were farewelled by a carefully crafted reel highlighting the program’s defining moments.

On Twitter, the Q&A team posted a simple message of thanks to the man who once famously asked what a hashtag was.

“All the best, Peter and Tony. Go well. #QandA.”

All the best, Peter and Tony. Go well. #QandA pic.twitter.com/8pusXkIigz

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 9, 2019