Sydney - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed
criticism Monday from Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg that he
was not doing enough to combat climate change.
The 16-year-old activist, who has a global following, used Twitter to
slam the Australian government for failing to make the connection
between the climate crisis and extreme weather and disasters like the
fires that have hit the country.
"Not even catastrophes like these seem to bring any political action.
How is this possible?" Thunberg Tweeted. Asked by reporters about her
message, Morrison said he will do what is right for Australia's
national interests.
"We'll do in Australia what we think is right for Australia...I'm not
here to try to impress people overseas," Morrison said.
Earlier Monday, Morrison said calls in Australia for him to do more
to fight climate change in the face of the bushfire crisis were
"reckless." He said he won't be "panicked" into taking stronger
action.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AustraliaFires?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AustraliaFires
That's what has to change.
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg)
"We won't embrace reckless targets and abandon traditional industries
that would risk Australian jobs while having no meaningful impact on
the global climate," Morrison wrote in an article published Monday in
the Sydney newspaper Daily Telegraph.
Morrison has long been a strong supporter of the coal industry which
is Australia's biggest export. Three quarters of Australian coal
production is exported and is worth 67 billion dollars (46.2 billion
US dollars) a year.
Morrison wrote there was a need for "real action on climate change"
across all levels, but to suggest increasing Australia's climate
targets would have prevented the current fires raging across the
country or extreme weather events "is simply false."
In an interview on Channel 9 Monday morning Morrison rejected a call
from his deputy and leader of his National Party coalition partner,
Michael McCormack, to do more to combat climate change.
"I never panic. I don't think panicking is the way to manage
anything," Morrison said.
He said he would not be intimidated by the push to do more to combat
climate change which was "politically motivated."