Barack Obama's then-chief of staff John Podesta, who recalls Mr Abbott as 'the Donald Trump of the times' had a 'frank and forthright' exchange with Australian officials in Washington DC about climate change, according to a new book.
Tony Abbott's climate change denial caused such frustration to Barack Obama that as president he ad-libbed barbed comments about the death of the Great Barrier Reef in a speech during a visit to Australia.
Mr Abbott opened the summit with a speech in which he celebrated his success in ending Labor's "carbon tax", but hours later Mr Obama gave a speech at the University of Queensland in which he took a swipe at the Australian government line that coal lifted people out of poverty, and said developing economies should be helped to break free of the "false choice between development and pollution".
Mr Abbott's climate views were significant to the White House at the time because Mr Obama wanted to ensure the 2015 Paris climate talks ended with an agreement. To that end in early 2014 he signed a bilateral agreement with China to cut emissions, and he wanted to continue diplomatic momentum at the Brisbane G20 meeting.Prime Minister Tony Abbott and US President Barack Obama pictured in Brisbane in 2014.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tony Abbott granted travel exemption to take on UK Brexit jobThe former PM's appointment was met with derision by the British Labour party.
Read more »
Tony Abbott granted travel exemption to take on UK Brexit jobFormer prime minister Tony Abbott has been granted an exemption from the Australian government's international travel ban to fly to London where he has accepted a job spruiking British trade after Brexit | latikambourke
Read more »
UK Labor MP labels Tony Abbott ‘cantankerous climate change denier’ | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Chris Kenny says British Labour showed utter hatred, abuse, deceit, and bitterness over the looming appointment of former prime minister Tony Abbott as a British trade ambassador.\n\nThere has been no formal announcement, but it has become likely Mr Abbott will join Britain’s Board of Trade to help the country negotiate free trade deals now it has left the European Union.\n\n“While it’s a bit unusual for a former Australian prime minister to work for the poms, I suppose it’s better than Kevin Rudd going off to work for the UN and spend his days venting on twitter,” Mr Kenny said.\n\nHowever, the Labour Party’s trade spokesperson, Emily Thornberry, hit out at the decision labelling Mr Abbott as “offensive, leering, cantankerous, climate-change-denying, Trump-worshiping misogynist”.\n\n“The hatred, the abuse, the deceit, and bitterness from the Left directed at Tony Abbott this time,” Mr Kenny said.\n\nImage: Getty
Read more »
‘Gaffe-prone misogynist’: Outrage at Tony Abbott’s new UK gigFormer Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has been described by critics as a “gaffe-prone misogynist” after it was revealed he will take up a plum post-Brexit job in Britain.
Read more »
UK Labor MP labels Tony Abbott ‘cantankerous climate change denier’ | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Chris Kenny says British Labour showed utter hatred, abuse, deceit, and bitterness over the looming appointment of former prime minister Tony Abbott as a British trade ambassador.\n\nThere has been no formal announcement, but it has become likely Mr Abbott will join Britain’s Board of Trade to help the country negotiate free trade deals now it has left the European Union.\n\n“While it’s a bit unusual for a former Australian prime minister to work for the poms, I suppose it’s better than Kevin Rudd going off to work for the UN and spend his days venting on twitter,” Mr Kenny said.\n\nHowever, the Labour Party’s trade spokesperson, Emily Thornberry, hit out at the decision labelling Mr Abbott as “offensive, leering, cantankerous, climate-change-denying, Trump-worshiping misogynist”.\n\n“The hatred, the abuse, the deceit, and bitterness from the Left directed at Tony Abbott this time,” Mr Kenny said.\n\nImage: Getty
Read more »