One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has said he will respectfully consider climate change evidence given to him by the CSIRO, but also accused the science agency of pushing the “de-industrialisation” of Australia.
Roberts met the CSIRO on Monday after asking for a briefing for the agency to provide empirical evidence of global warming which he has said it has “never provided before”.
Roberts told Guardian Australia the meeting was very interesting and he would treat the CSIRO with respect by going through the material it provided him, which included information on climate change and vegetation levels.
“The onus of proof is on the CSIRO, they are the tip of $1tn climate industry. They’ve pushed the de-industrialisation of Queensland and Australia,” he said.
“Normally this is shut down with name-calling and smears. This time we’re starting a debate.”
Have just finished our meeting with the #CSIRO. Great to finally meet and start a discussion on the #science backing their claims. #auspol
— Sen. Malcolm Roberts (@SenatorMRoberts) September 26, 2016
Roberts said he would consult with “people all over the world” about what he had heard and make further comment in a couple of weeks.
He said policies to mitigate climate change – such as a carbon price – were important because “they impact on jobs, the cost of living, and are especially harsh on the poor”. “It’s anti-human,” he summarised.
The meeting comes on the same day a survey by the Climate Institute found 65% of Australians want the country to lead the world in climate change solutions. The result is up from 59% in 2014-15 and 52% in 2010-12 when the “carbon tax” debate was front and centre in politics.
The study also found 77% of Australians believe climate change is happening, up from 64% four years ago and 70% last year.
Roberts has consistently rejected arguments that humans cause global warming, despite the overwhelming scientific consensus.
He demanded evidence in his inaugural speech on Tuesday and in an appearance on the ABC’s Q&A, but when data was immediately produced on air, he said it had been corrupted by manipulation by Nasa and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The CSIRO publishes a wealth of such data on the Climate Change in Australia website.
Roberts’s claims have already been the subject of extensive rebuttals, including by Steven Sherwood, director of the climate change research centre at the University of New South Wales.
