AF:I have advocated strongly globally,that fossil fuel subsidies must come to a stop all over the world,and particularly in Australia;that new coal mines or even new gas plants are a complete anathema,a contradiction to the fact that the planet is actually cooking. And to pretend it isn’t has the same common sense as an anti-vaxxer. I did speak to Barnaby Joyce at great length,as I wanted to show the Nationals that it is economically pragmatic to be carbon neutral by 2050,and that if they stopped it,they would be denying the economic and energy independence of Australia,particularly to the miners and farmers they say they represent.
Fitz:Did you make headway with Barnaby?
AF:Yes,absolutely. I went to see him in Tamworth. We had a few too many beers together. The following day we then had a very grown up conversation over a long and quite technical breakfast meeting. I believe Mr Joyce is most amenable to the obvious economic pragmatism of Australia going fully green.
Fitz:Yup. But can’t you say out loud that the PM and the Coalition action on climate change has been hopeless,and their latest 2050 proposals are a sham?
AF:Hey,can we just not turn this into a political session? I have to work with any government elected by the people. I’m an Australian overseas,I’m not going down the path of other politicians who have criticised our country from overseas. I’m a passionately loyal Australian. And I will do things when asked by the prime minister. But I can say this,Peter:the Liberals,the Nats and the Labor Party must acknowledge that fossil fuel rebates are a complete joke economically,when that capital could be being deployed to give Australia a choice. The whole diesel fuel rebate is costing Australia $7 billion dollars a year,and by 2025 it will be over $10 billion a year. More than the Australian Army budget.
Fitz:You and I are children of 1961 and you turn 60 next Thursday. Good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise,you and I might get another 30 or 40 years. What,seriously,do you want to do with yours? Your $30 billion to the good now. Could you be bothered making more billions? What are your ambitions?
AF:What I want to do is with my time and capitalnow is to get the best possible leverage I can,the best possible benefit for my community and environment by getting people to understand that there’s a practical implementable commercial solution to diesel oil and coal and it’s fully green,yet fully commercial. Now the fossil fuel sector will be denying that ’saying it’s a 2030/2040 solution at the earliest. And I’ve come to COP26 to say it’s here now;it’s practical and implementable,and governments around the world should and must be using it.
Fitz:Did you fly to Glasgow commercial or private jet?
AF:I am not answering that inane question,mate. I got here the most practical way I could when you’ve got to visit fifty countries.
Fitz:One last thing. You’ve been in Sydney recently,duchessing journalists in fancy restaurants. Why weren’t you duchessing me?
AF:Because I know if I go to you,I’m preaching to the converted.
De Klerk’s numbers up
My favourite story about the former president of South Africa F.W. De Klerk,who passed away on Thursday,has a strong Australian angle.
In 1992 see,after 27 years of sanctions came to an end,Nick Farr-Jones’ Wallabies fly into South Africa. Accompanying the Wallabies is one George Pippos,a famously acerbic Queenslander on the Australian Rugby Union board,not known for his diplomatic niceties.
On the first night on South African soil,the Wallabies – together with the Boks and the All Blacks – are hosted to a BBQ deep in a gold mine outside of Jo’burg.
“So,” Pippos asks the then-President,while munching on a sausage sandwich,“how many white fellas do you have in this country?”
“Around 4 million,” comes the reply.
“How many black fellas?” Pippos continues,still munching.
“Around 28 million,” De Klerk replies.
Pippos can’t help himself:“Jeez . . . you’re f---ed.”
And so it proved!
Joke Of The Week
A Sydney man has toldThe Shovel about his ambitious target to phase out his alcohol consumption within the next 29 years,as part of an impressive plan to improve his health.
The program will see Greg Taylor,73,continue to drink as normal for the foreseeable future,before reducing consumption in 2049 when he turns 101. He has assured friends it will not affect his drinking plans in the short or medium term.
Taylor said it was important not to rush the switch to non-alcoholic beverages. “It’s not realistic to transition to zero alcohol overnight. This requires a steady,phased approach where nothing changes for at least two decades,” he said,adding that he may need to make additional investments in beer consumption in the short term,to make sure no night out is worse off.
Taylor will also be able to bring forward drinking credits earned from the days he hasn’t drunk over the past forty years,meaning the actual end date for consumption may actually be 2060. To assist with the transition,Taylor has bought a second beer fridge which he describes as the ‘capture and storage’ method.”
Tweet of the week
“Imagine Paul Keating having all the media follow him into a hairdresser’s to film his hair being cut. God,how I miss an intelligent Australia.” -@RonniSalt
Quotes of the week
“I don’t believe I have,no. No.” -Prime Minister Scott Morrison when asked by 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell if he had ever told a lie in public life.
“I,without qualification,apologise for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage that apartheid has done to black,brown and Indians in South Africa.” -F.W. de Klerk,South Africa’s last white president,who died on Thursday,apologising for the crimes committed against his country’s people of colour in a video released by his foundation on its website hours after his death.
“It is time to acknowledge the real history of Ben Boyd and remove his name from the national park that continues to hold enormous cultural significance for Aboriginal people. It is clear from the expert historical analysis,that Ben Boyd’s association with ‘blackbirding’ should not be reflected or celebrated in any way in our National Parks.” -Environment Minister Matt Kean announcing the renaming of Ben Boyd National Park,to a name in the language of the traditional custodians. Bravo. Next stop,Ben Boyd Road at Neutral Bay.
“Queensland police ... searched a number of vehicles and they found a truck with a container on the back which did appear to be suspicious,it wasn’t properly secured. They banged on the side of the truck and someone banged back. They opened[it] up and he was sitting inside a Mercedes,inside the container on the back of the truck.” -Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow about the arrest of alleged cocaine kingpin and fugitive Mostafa Baluch after he was found hiding inside a Mercedes being transported on a truck travelling to Queensland. Mr Baluch,33,has been on the run since allegedly skipping bail on October 25 when he broke off his ankle monitor.
“Across NSW it’s pleasing to see those high rates of vaccination continue to inch upwards to our objective of achieving 95 per cent double vaccination.” -Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant as NSW hit 90 per cent of people aged 16 and over double-vaxxed.
“We need uniform vaccination rates,and right now they’re not – regional rates are lower,and groups we have reasons for wanting to protect – like the Aboriginal population – are also lower.” -Professor Alexandra Martiniuk,an epidemiologist at the University of Sydney,with a word of warning,noting there were still groups left to be vaccinated in order for the state to hit 95 per cent and herd immunity.
“Australians love their family sedan,farmers rely on their trusted ute and our economy counts on trucks and trains to deliver goods from coast to coast. We will not be forcing Australians out of the car they want to drive or penalising those who can least afford it through bans or taxes. Instead,the strategy will work to drive down the cost of low and zero-emission vehicles,and enhance consumer choice.” -Scott Morrison promising that the national energy grid will undergo several upgrades to ensure it can handle an anticipated 1.7 million electric cars on the road by 2030 as part of the federal government’s push towards net-zero emissions by mid-century.
“Australians cannot trust Scott Morrison to tell them the truth. His lies have put us at the back of the queue for electric vehicles.” -Anthony Albanese dismissing Scott Morrison in a tweet.
“Currently,unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care,and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources. COVID-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice may still tap on regular healthcare financing arrangements to pay for their bills where applicable.” -A statement from the Singapore Ministry of Health announcing that the Singaporean government will no longer cover the medical costs of people “unvaccinated by choice”,who account for the bulk of remaining new COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations in the city-state.
“It will be the end at the Aussie Open.” -Tennis player Dylan Alcott swearing that the Australian Open will be his last competition.
“Vote like your life depended on it – because it does.” -Former American president Barack Obama speaking to young people at COP26.
Twitter:@Peter_Fitz
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