Australia’s newly-elected Liberal National Coalition has made good on its campaign trail promise to cut the country’s climate commission, the independent panel of experts created by the government to provide information to Australians on how climate change is affecting the country.
The Coalition, led by Tony Abbot, says the work the climate commission does should fall to the country’s Department of Environment, and that cutting the commission will save the government money — about $1.6 million each year.
Tim Flannery, the head of the climate commission, said the decision to ax the group was “dismaying.” He said he didn’t think the work of the climate commission, a group which included an advisory panel of scientists as well as an economist and businessman, could not be replicated by other government departments.
Climate change is a grave threat, but a threat that can be overcome,” he said in Melbourne this week. “We desperately need a well-informed public, especially in areas of complex policy. Without an informed public, we will go astray.”
