If we are looking for something to illustrate Australia’s inability to have any coherent and sustained response to the climate crisis over the past couple of decades, we can find it in the reaction to the fossil fuel giant Woodside’s 70th birthday dinner.
That reaction being a little bit of climate science denial, plus some political patronage and big servings of fossil fuel cheerleading barely disguised as journalism.
“WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON” screamed the front page of the West Australian – the paper upset the prime minister hadn’t rocked up to Woodside’s big do at Perth’s Crown casino on Saturday night.
“Not a single Federal Labor politician went to an event celebrating one of our State’s biggest exporters and employers, despite Anthony Albanese just days ago declaring his commitment to Western Australia and the resources sector,” the story read.
That’s right. Saying you’re committed isn’t enough. We want you at our birthday party too.
🇦🇺 Whose Side Are You On
▫Albo's vow to WA on ice as his team fails to show up for one of our biggest employers#frontpagestoday #Australia @westaustralian 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/mLpvkuP8RZ
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, also hadn’t turned up, the paper noted in a sterile sentence further down the story. Two former prime ministers, Tony Abbott (more on him in a minute) and Scott Morrison, were there, as were a gaggle of former premiers and the current WA opposition leader.
The state’s energy, environment and climate........