The Importance of Being abbott

The G20 is a meeting of the leaders of the most powerful countries in the world.

Australia is one of those countries, ranked at No 20 in terms of population, N0 18 in terms of GDP.

We scrape in by virtue of our geographical position and our ethnography. That, and our extreme quarryishness.

The leaders of the big two countries, the USA and China, have spoken about matters of earth-shattering importance.

Or, perhaps, Earth-saving importance.

In the face of irrefutable evidence of Climate Change and the dire consequences of doing nothing at all, they have come to an agreement to reduce their emissions over the next fifteen years.

China agreed to slow and then stop (the increase in) its emissions by 2030 while the US said it would reduce emissions by up to 28 per cent by 2025. Australia has committed to a 5 per cent cut in emissions by 2020.

China has even explained that this will mean a slowing of their economy.

In addition US president Barack Obama has pledged $US3 billion to a global climate fund.

What has been the response of our little country to the challenge of this high-powered meeting of minds?

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey says G20 finance ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies have committed “to use all policy levers” to generate growth and jobs – including a $1 trillion European stimulus – as a draft growth plan warns that lack of combined action means they will fall short of their 2 per cent growth commitment.

Despite the acceptance by China that slowing emissions means a slowing of economies.

Australian Prime Minister tony abbott has confirmed my opinion that he only deserves small letters with his amazing address to the other G20 leaders.

He preened himself on the fact that he had “removed the Carbon Tax”. He spoke proudly about how he had increased the cost of education. He whinged that the electorate did not want his surprise $7 health co-payment.

So much parochial in such exalted company.

Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott had “missed the opportunity to show why Australia should be considered a world leader. Instead he boasted of taking Australia backwards on climate change action, making it harder for Australians to go to university and pricing sick people out of getting the healthcare they need.”

“Tony Abbott is showing what a small-minded and insignificant player he is by whining about domestic politics instead,” Greens leader Christine Milne said.

With Australia right on the bottom of the G20 membership, should we re-elect abbott and his crazies in 2016 (I predict the election will be Jan 2017) then by 2018 we will no longer have an economy worthy of being included in the G20.

Either 2016 sees the last of abbott or a shrinking Australia will see the last of the G20!

abbott, aided by his crazies, is taking us all to Hell in a Handbasket.