THE CLIMATE COUNCIL today urged Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to urgently accept briefings from leading climate scientists and emergency service experts, after he admitted during the ABC's leaders debate that he didn't know if climate change was making extreme weather events worse.
"Climate experts are ready and willing to brief Mr Dutton anywhere, anytime," said Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie.
"It's outrageous for a senior political leader to be so out of touch that they claim they 'don't know' the risks Australians are facing. In 2025 there is no excuse for someone vying to be Prime Minister not to have educated themselves thoroughly on the science and impacts of the climate crisis."
Mr Dutton's comments come as new data shows two million homes and businesses are now at moderate to high risk from worsening, climate disasters, like floods, coastal erosion and bushfires.
"Australians are paying $30 billion more in insurance costs than we were a decade ago. People living in vulnerable parts of the country are increasingly finding they can't insure their homes because it is unaffordable or unavailable," said Ms McKenzie.
In Mr Dutton's own electorate of Dickson 3,692 properties are at such high risk of escalating damage from extreme weather that insurance is becoming unaffordable or could be withdrawn.
"Australians remember the Black Summer bushfires when then-Liberal leader Scott Morrison, rejected repeated offers from experts to brief him on the risks of a catastrophic fire season. Ignoring the experts meant that the Coalition government had not prepared for the Black Summer that followed which certainly put more Australians in danger.
"We hope Peter Dutton doesn't also bury his head in the sand and takes the opportunity to get informed on one of the biggest risks to our community."
Please find the Climate Council's letter to Mr Dutton attached with a list of available experts and relevant climate change information.
Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, an organisation bringing together 35 former fire and emergency chiefs, recently offered to brief Mr Dutton on escalating risks of extreme weather. They received no response.
