John Howard rebukes Barack Obama over climate speech

JOHN Howard has criticised Barack Obama for “wading into domestic political differences on climate change” during his recent visit.

JOHN Howard has criticised Barack Obama for “wading into domestic political differences on climate change” during his recent visit to Australia for the G20 leaders’ summit.

The former prime minister said the US President’s speech to the University of Queensland in Brisbane “could have been phrased differently”.

The President used the speech to call for the leap-­frogging of coal technologies and, citing climate change, ­predicted more “wildfires” and a growing threat to the Great Barrier Reef.

“I think President Obama could easily have understood that we have a different ­approach to climate change and, without in any way in retreating from his own position, he could have avoided giving the impression he was wading into domestic political differences on the climate change differences in the country with the reference to the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Howard told The Australian.

He said Tony Abbott had done an extremely good job as chairman of the November summit “when the eyes of the world were upon us”.

Mr Obama’s passionate speech to a young audience ­during the G20 summit embarrassed the Prime Minister, caused outrage among members of the Queensland government and drew public criticism from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Mr Obama said climate change “here in Australia” meant “longer droughts, more wildfires” and “the incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened”.

“I have not had a chance to go to the Great Barrier Reef and I want to come back, and I want my daughters to be able to come back, and I want them to be able to bring their daughters or sons to visit,” the President said.

He called for support for the Green Climate Fund, to which he had pledged $US3 billion, to help developing countries “leapfrog some of the dirty industries that powered our development; go straight to a clean-energy economy that ­allows them to grow, create jobs, and at the same time reduce their carbon pollution”.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he was not about to criticise Mr Obama as “our guest” but the President had relied on misinformation and he would tell US officials what was “actually going on with the reef”.

Ms Bishop said she understood Queensland government concerns and “there was an issue” with Mr Obama’s speech.

In an interview with The Australian on international relations in 2014, Mr Howard contrasted the public statements of Mr Obama, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who has similar views to Mr Obama, and other world leaders who were in Australia at the same time.

“I know you can have differences,” Mr Howard said. “Take David Cameron: his views are probably closer to President Obama’s than they are to some other Commonwealth prime ministers but he understood where he was. He was the epitome of style and grace. I felt President Obama’s speech could have been phrased differently.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping did not mention climate change in his address to parliament after the G20 meeting. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech to the federal parliament, called for new-­generation energy, including coal technologies, “that does not cause our glaciers to melt”.

Mr Howard was accused of meddling in US domestic politics himself when as prime minister he backed the Republican position on the invasion of Iraq and said al-Qa’ida would be cheering for a Democrat win with Mr Obama.

In the interview, Mr Howard said he “would give Mr Abbott at least eight out of 10 for inter­national affairs” during 2014.

“On the shooting down of the MH17, he expressed the outrage at the murder of our people,” he said.

Mr Howard said agreements on free trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea in one year had exceeded expectations.