MEDIA RELEASE – John Brumby and Victorian Labor – BAILLIEU EMBRACES TONY ABBOTT’S CLIMATE SCEPTICISM

Mr Jennings said that Mr Baillieu’s weak environmental gimmick today, which is based on Tony Abbott’s tree planting idea, proves that the big issues of sustainability and climate change are too hard for him.
“Victorians care about climate change and want a Government that is committed to delivering a cut in emissions and a sustainable future,” Mr Jennings said.
“Mr Baillieu has already revealed today in The Age that he is too weak to deliver a 20 per cent cut, based on 2000 levels, by 2020 on greenhouse gas emissions.
“All Mr Baillieu has shown today is that he and Tony Abbott now have three things in common, their love of budgie smugglers, their refusal to have their policies costed by Treasury and they both think cheap gimmicks on trees will solve climate change.
“The $4 million Mr Baillieu announced today will barely cover the cost of buying carbon credits to offset the bus trip used to ship the media pack to Monbulk today.”
Mr Jennings said the Liberals announcement today was an embarrassment for them compared to the Brumby Labor Governments strong record on tackling climate change.
“Today, Labor has committed $116.3 million to further protect our biodiversity through the creation of a new coastal park and more programs to eradicate weeds and pests,” he said.
“This builds on the Brumby Labor Government’s commitment to a staged closure of Hazelwood and our nation leading target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent, based on 2000 levels, by 2020.
“Mr Baillieu has long been known as a climate change sceptic and today just confirms this for Victorians.”