[Greens-Media] Senator Milne: Treasurer knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing

[O'Connor, Cassy (Sen C. Milne)]

Monday, 2 April 2007

Treasurer knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing  

The Treasurer's so-called Intergenerational Report is an affront to future generations, Australian Greens' climate change spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne said today.
	
"The Treasurer is obsessed with the cost of pharmaceuticals in 2050 while appearing relaxed and comfortable  at the thought Australia could be 3ºC degrees warmer by then.

"Today's report contains page after page of simplistic straight line forecasts of the birth rate, productivity growth and expenditure on health, but the Treasurer defends the scant attention paid to climate change because he didn't want to include any "inexact variables".

"We are told that Australia cannot afford to tackle climate change but this latest intergenerational report informs us that the economy is going to be 11% bigger in 2050 than was predicted five years ago. At the same time, we are told that the 1% of GDP that Sir Nicholas Stern says we need to invest in tackling climate change will ruin the economy.

"This Government just doesn't understand the relationship between the environment and the economy. The Intergenerational Report actually says that, "Other areas of Australian Government spending, such as defence, climate change, and the environment more generally, do not have a clear link with demographic factors."(p. 46) 

"That a Treasurer in the 21st Century is unaware of the link between population growth and the capacity of ecosystems to support such a population demonstrates why Peter Costello is a Treasurer for the last century, not this one,"  Senator Milne said.



Media contact:  Cassy O'Connor   03 6224 8899   or 0437 587 562