I didn't get to see Four Corners last night, but I see from this report that Abbott is still trying to walk both sides of the fence, by making statements that will appeal to climate skeptics, but still making out that he is satisfied enough to spend money on reducing carbon.
If you ask me, as with his "I'm not a tech head" attitude to selling his broadband policy, Abbott comes across as lazy on detail. He'll grab a "big idea" of his own, such as his parental leave plan, and run with that as far as he can, but when it comes to anything with science content, it's all a shrug of the shoulders and admissions that he hasn't read much about it. (He said he started Plimer's disreputable book but didn't finish it. That in fact might be a good thing, but there is no indication that he has read material on the other side of the fence.)
Also, he doesn't just come across as lazy on detail, but his responses always seem to me as if he doesn't think science or technology are in the least important, and he--to me--comes across as awfully condescending of anyone who tries to explain otherwise to him. Mum and Fran and I (and Beth on Skype) caught some of Four Corners last night, and we were not happy.
ReplyDeleteYes I saw him on Q&A and, as usual, he failed to impress. I in fact think the NBN is too much money to be spent for Australia, given it's geography, but he completely undermined his credibility as a critic of the plan by doing his "shucks, don't ask me the detail of my own policy" routine with Kerry O'Brien.
ReplyDelete