verging_on_random

What, me lead?

November 9, 2006 on 7:48 am | In Uncategorized |

Continuing with my comments on the Prime Minister’s failure as a leader, here are two excerpts from his latest press conference. The first one demonstrates his lucid position on the economics of alternative energy sources in the struggle to reverse global warming:

JOURNALIST:

Power stations won’t use clean coal technology Prime Minister unless they have to surely?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well it would depend and these are the sort of judgements we’ve got to make. It would depend on whether there were incentives, whether there were rules, there were this that and the other, these are all part of the debate and these are very serious things that we need to debate.

Ummm you’ve been there for more than 10 years mate, how much longer is the friggin’ debate supposed to go on before you can do your job and decide what needs to be done?

The second excerpt reveals that he’s equally informed on issues to do with making more efficient use of water resources:

JOURNALIST:

With the Government’s solution to water, the Government accepts the principle of the market-based mechanism in water trading, why not emissions trading?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well I haven’t said I don’t accept it, I haven’t said that. I’m not, what I have said is that in an environment where the science does support that the globe is getting warmer, I mean, how much warmer and at what rate is far from conclusive and I am less embracing of the doomsday scenarios than many others. I think as time goes by some of the economic underpinnings of the Stern Review are going to be continually and increasingly questioned. That is not to say that it doesn’t make a contribution but it is still another report, we should not get mesmerised by one report, but I do accept that we need to take steps, take out insurance, be certain that we do reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In other words, with respect to the urgent issue of our times - whether Australia can survive as a place where human beings can live in reasonable comfort - our prime minister is clueless. He’s still beset by scepticism, and considering reports, and weighing the arguments, and doing anything but showing leadership. The Liberal Party prides itself on being able to manage the country as if it were a ginormous business undertaking. I tell you what John, if the chief executive of a private company stuffed around over a critically important issue the way you have over global warming he’d be a laughing stock.

What accounts for this clueless, spineless behaviour? Well showing leadership would mean taking a firm position, and taking a firm position would upset some of his core supporters, who are convinced that global warming is a figment of the socialists’ imagination, invented to help governments take away our freedoms (yes Virginia, the people who adored Pauline Hanson are still alive and voting for John Howard).

John Howard is not now, nor has he ever been, interested in showing leadership on issues of national significance. He’s interested in boosting his own self-esteem. Period.