CPAC Australia 2022 Protestors.

Day One CPAC Australia: Climate Skepticism, Freedom and Protestors

Essay by Eric Worrall

A star lineup of speakers including Nigel Farage, former Aussie PM Tony Abbott, Jacinta Price, Michael Shellenberger, The Outsiders, and top US Republicans like Matt Schlapp (CPAC USA) and Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s Former Acting Attorney General.

As a CPAC event the topics were wide ranging, but the energy disaster in Britain and Europe certainly focussed significant attention on climate policy.

The Outsiders Rowan Dean, Rita Panahi and James Morrow treated us to a live episode of their high profile current affairs show, and provided an important practical lesson on how easy it is to lose our freedom. Be sure to catch their show.

CPAC 2022 Australia Outsiders RW
Sky News The Outsiders – Spectator Editor Rowan Dean, The Friday Show host Rita Panahi and The Daily Telegraph Opinion Editor James Morrow.

Former Aussie Prime Minister Tony Abbott – “I am a climate skeptic”. I’m afraid I was clapping too hard to remember to take the pic.

Zion Lights, the former Extinction Rebellion communication head, who had the courage to admit she was wrong about renewables when she quit ER. She is now a powerful advocate for nuclear power.

Zion Lights - Former Extinction Rebellion Head of Communication.
Zion Lights – Former Extinction Rebellion Head of Communication.

Michael Shellenberger provided the most climate focussed presentation, presenting evidence there is no climate crisis.

Michael Shellenberger presenting evidence there is no climate crisis.
Michael Shellenberger presenting evidence there is no climate crisis.

British politician Nigel Farage, the only British politician to speak up for Trump during his 2016 campaign, giving us a detailed insight into the unfolding energy catastrophe in Britain and Europe. Farage was also the only speaker who took questions – his answer to my question about the British energy situation is he is deeply concerned about the uphill battle new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will face solving the British energy crisis.

Nigel Farage at CPAC 2022.

Aussie Federal One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts, a tireless destroyer of green fantasies and a consistent thorn in the side of the renewable movement – Senator Malcolm Roberts will be speaking at tomorrow’s session.

Aussie Federal National Party Senator Matt Canavan, who frequently appears in WUWT due to his outspoken support for coal.

Australian Senator Matt Canavan

The Australia columnist Nick Cater spoke on the push by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to criminalise climate skepticism, in the name of preventing more victims of mass shootings, which WUWT has already covered. If you think Ardern’s non-sequitur doesn’t make sense, you’re not alone.

And my friend Jim, who poked fun at the protestors with his wild dress and hilarious songs. For some reason they didn’t seem to appreciate his effort to entertain them.

And of course there is that handsome chap in the black polkadot shirt who seems to have photobombed some of my selfies.

There were plenty of other speakers with massively important contributions, I particularly liked Jacinta Price’s and Matthew Whitakers’s speeches, but I’m keeping this focussed on the climate issue. If I missed anything my apologies, I blame the excitement.

I look forward to the Sunday session. The live stream is available here.

4.9 28 votes
Article Rating
55 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Scissor
October 1, 2022 10:07 am

I was hoping that Izzy showed up.

Reply to  Scissor
October 1, 2022 10:53 am

Eddie?

Sorry, that’s Izzard…… 🤮 🤣

Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 10:58 am

And for those not familiar with Eddie Izzard:

38734370-9210227-image-a-28_1612187710116.jpg
H.R.
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 3:17 pm

No… just… no.

Vuk
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 1:03 pm

Ah, never mind him.
King Charles will not attend the climate change conference COP27, which is due to be held in Egypt later this year, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The Palace was responding to a story in The Sunday Times which claimed Prime Minister Liz Truss had “ordered” the King not to attend.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63105522

Reply to  Vuk
October 1, 2022 1:59 pm

Can’t do much about his equally dopey son William though.

Reply to  Vuk
October 1, 2022 2:11 pm

Usual Far Left, Communist (had to be said) BBC and Times sensationalism though:

The Palace was responding to a story in The Sunday Times which claimed Prime Minister Liz Truss had “ordered” the King not to attend.

In other words, “Poor King Charles, bullied by the extreme right, Fascist, Nazi, Climate denying Toreees not to attend COP 27.”

Bother to read beyond the headlines though, which lefties rarely do because their span of attention is so short and we find:

The Palace said advice had been sought by the King and given by Ms Truss.

Having said that, the palace sticks it’s own knife in by saying:

“With mutual friendship and respect there was agreement that the King would not attend,” the Palace stated.

In other words, they agreed through gritted teeth and our King only ‘asked’ in order to make a song and dance about it.

EDIT: And having thought about it for a moment, that’s a statement by Liz Truss that by agreeing with Charles that he not attend Cop27, climate change is a political issue and the monarch is not allowed to publicly discuss political issues.

A world leader has now publicly announced the subject is not about ‘the science’, it’s now a political imperative.

Old Cocky
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 3:46 pm

It’s probably more accurate to say that the actions to be taken are a matter for the government of the day, so it isn’t proper for the monarch to express a public opinion.

What is happening is a scientific matter, what the impact might be is an economic matter, and what to do about it is a government (and individual) matter.

October 1, 2022 10:10 am

If only they knew..

markl
October 1, 2022 10:51 am

:..the push by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to criminalise climate skepticism…” This is going on all over the world. It started out as blatant censorship and “cancelling” but you can’t hide the truth. Are the Marxists that smart that they can get away with it or will common sense and truth win?

Tim
Reply to  markl
October 1, 2022 3:02 pm

The fact that they are still fighting to control us after so many years is proof that the Truth wins. Eventually…

October 1, 2022 10:52 am

I was a big fan of Nigel Farage. I say ‘was’ until I discovered recently that he’s on the board (or otherwise associated) of a green organisation.

Nigel, you have the opportunity to explain yourself here, or declare that media reports are wrong.

Zion Lights is a witless attention seeker, no better than Greta Thunberg, in fact worse as she jumped ship (partially – onto safe ground with nuclear) and was exposed as a witless attention seeker when interviewed by Andrew Neil on UK TV where she humiliated herself with the utter lack of knowledge on her Extinction Rebellion cause.

Malcolm Roberts is a legend, as are you Eric.

Jit
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 11:13 am

Worse than Greta because she realised that renewables aren’t going to cut it? You would have preferred it if she kept on marching up and down with XR? The interview you reference was a car crash, but it might have been the spur she needed to learn more about the subject.

Beagle
Reply to  Jit
October 1, 2022 12:53 pm

Yes it was the AN interview that made her change her views. Nigel Farage is working for a company that plants trees. Hardly a crime against scepticism.

Reply to  Beagle
October 1, 2022 2:37 pm

Yes it was the AN interview that made her change her views. 

I find that quite naïve. She had one difficult interview, then decided to bail on her principles. A tad shallow don’t you think?

Nigel may be working for a company planting trees, but the majority of these organisations subscribe to the climate change agenda.

Do you know of the company and perhaps have a link to it’s website so we can all make an informed judgement of them?

Reply to  Jit
October 1, 2022 2:22 pm

She’s learned nothing about the subject. And yes, I wish the dopey clown had remained with XR as she will undoubtedly go on to have a car crash interview about nuclear.

Pete Bonk
Reply to  Jit
October 1, 2022 8:37 pm

I believe Michael Shellenberger may have helped with Zion Lights moving away from dark side a bit; he talks about that in his Apocalypse Never book.

Richard Page
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 1:11 pm

I’ve never been a fan of Nigel Farage but he certainly knows how to publicise a cause and/or himself. Having said that, I think there is a difference between environmentalism and climate change advocacy – most Green climate change advocates are no longer environmentalists, whatever they like to say, their actions betray them. Perhaps this is a step forward – companies looking at environmental issues without the lunacy of the climate change delusion?

Reply to  Richard Page
October 1, 2022 2:32 pm

I’ve watched innumerable Farage interviews, always with the lingering doubt he’s a fake. But to be honest, he’s well informed about most subjects, articulate and persuasive.

The guy spent 20+ years in the European Parliament and long before most of us considered climate change an issue, he railed against the concept.

I agree that he’s likely as environmentally minded as the rest of us however, that’s not the way the rabid greens, his eternal critics, and the MSM present it, which is why I ask him to explain himself and describe the organisation he’s presumably being paid by.

There is always the question of whether his association with the organisation is simply politically expedient.

Dave Fair
Reply to  HotScot
October 2, 2022 9:19 am

Who cares?

Richard Page
Reply to  Eric Worrall
October 2, 2022 3:02 pm

There’s an interesting altercation between Farage and some unprepared and rather inane protestor on his twitter feed. Worth watching for giggles.

Reply to  HotScot
October 2, 2022 2:38 am

I wonder on what cloud she floated to this conference?

Reply to  HotScot
October 2, 2022 3:25 am

So only the extreme left are allowed to make money from the environmentalist green train?

Reply to  Redge
October 2, 2022 10:02 am

When someone condemns it publicly, but profits from it personally, he can’t complain that anyone else is hypocritical.

Janice Moore
October 1, 2022 12:53 pm

Hooray for the Aussie science realists! 😀

(after seeing that friendly, smiling, and, yes, “handsome,” face, Mr. Worrall, you’ve heard the last of my sometimes sharp tone — how could one speak curtly to such an obviously congenial person… )

Enjoyed the refreshingly candid, witty, writing.

Janice Moore
Reply to  Janice Moore
October 1, 2022 1:23 pm

Much easier to speak brusquely to someone you picture looking vaguely like Obadiah Slope:

comment image

Janice Moore
Reply to  Janice Moore
October 1, 2022 1:26 pm

((ugh)) Just looking at that face….. makes me want to say:

As if I am interested in ANYTHING you have to say.

Blech!

Reply to  Janice Moore
October 1, 2022 2:44 pm

That’s an actor Janice, Alan Rickman. He played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies.

Sadly, now deceased.

Nice man apparently.

Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 4:05 pm

Alan Rickman also excellently played the cold very cool urbane villain in “Die Hard”, including where he compared his bespoke London tailor suit with the owner of the company he was robbing.

IMDB (International Movie Data Base):
Although often cited as being a master of playing villains, Rickman actually played a wide variety of characters, such as the romantic cello-playing ghost Jamie in Anthony Minghella‘s Truly Madly Deeply (1990) and the noble Colonel Brandon of Sense and Sensibility (1995). He treated audiences to his comedic abilities in such films as Dogma (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and roles like Dr. Alfred Blalock in Something the Lord Made (2004), and as Alex Hughes in Snow Cake (2006), showcased his ability to play ordinary men in extraordinary situations.”

Janice Moore
Reply to  HotScot
October 1, 2022 4:18 pm

H. Scot.

Yes. 🙄 I am not disgusted by Mr. Rickman. I am disgusted by anyone who has the demeanor which Mr. Rickman was doing an excellent job of portraying.

I loved his portrayal of Colonel Brandon (wince*) in “Sense and Sensibility.”

Thank you for making sure I knew. 🙂

Janice

*the wince is because of that ((((ugh)))) name and what it now often means

Richard Page
Reply to  Janice Moore
October 1, 2022 4:42 pm

Yup. Alan Rickman proved, time and again, that he could act rings around many other people employed as such. A true great.

Pete Bonk
Reply to  Richard Page
October 1, 2022 8:43 pm

Indeed it’s called “Acting!” and Rickman was terrific at it. His performance in Galaxy Quest is a gem, as was his role in Love, Actually.

Dave K
Reply to  Pete Bonk
October 2, 2022 8:33 am

It’s not Christmas until you’ve seen Hans Gruber fall from the Nakatomi Tower. I do believe that the expression on his face wasn’t acting as they didn’t tell him they were going to drop him.

fret
October 1, 2022 12:55 pm

Nigel has become something of a motormouth. His campaign for a referendum on net zero turned out to be nothing more than an announcement, as for immigration; dead easy to criticise

The UK is devoid of any honest, sensible leadership

Reply to  fret
October 2, 2022 3:27 am

The UK is devoid of any honest, sensible leadership

Amen to that, brother

Auto
Reply to  Redge
October 3, 2022 5:32 am

Indeed.
But isn’t a part of the reason the system of selecting candidates in ‘winnable’ or ‘safe’ seats in the UK Parliament?
Possibly in the Welsh Sennedd and the Scottish Parliament, too.
There local parties select a presentable candidate who will look after them – sometimes, coincidentally, her or his* local electors, too.

* Other possessives are available, Goodness!

Auto

October 1, 2022 1:23 pm

CPAC?

I looked it up.

Conservative Political Action Conference.

How is a poor Scottish retired seaman supposed to know what it means?

Please, pretty please, explain things like this when they appear in a post.

Reply to  Oldseadog
October 1, 2022 2:46 pm

By searching for it on the internet perhaps?

Oh wait, that’s what you did! 😊

H.R.
October 1, 2022 1:40 pm

Are the greenies running low on money? That rent-a-mob looks a little smallish to me.

fret
October 1, 2022 2:03 pm

Off topic but interesting

Liz Truss ‘orders King Charles to stay away from the Cop27 climate change summit after objecting to his plans’ despite the new monarch’s plans to give a major speech to world leaders

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11270377/Liz-Truss-orders-King-Charles-stay-away-Cop27-climate-change-summit.html

He isn’t going and neither is she

Richard Page
Reply to  fret
October 1, 2022 4:49 pm

‘Orders’ is such an interesting way of putting it, don’t you think? The story I saw was that Charles asked for advice from the government, perhaps testing the waters with a new PM, Truss gave her advice and Charles isn’t going. I would have been shocked and horrified if he had gone, quite frankly; attending COP26 in Scotland was one thing, traipsing round the world to a non-commonwealth country with a dodgy human rights record to attend a political conference in a sleazy resort town quite another.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Richard Page
October 2, 2022 7:10 am

Seriously Richard? Maybe my memory is failing me, but I had the impression that you were from the UK and if not, at least over the age of ten.

It takes a great deal of naivety to actually believe that story. Perhaps you’re attempting to propagate that lie in service of saving face for old Jug Ears? How loyal.

Well, it hardly qualifies as a lie when it is transparently a euphemism. Chucky has been humiliated. The spokeslackeys are paid to spin that sort of thing. They did their best under impossible circumstances.

Richard Page
Reply to  Rich Davis
October 2, 2022 9:34 am

I am indeed from the UK and have been over the age of 10 for quite some years and, as such, can identify a story fabricated from virtually nothing, or as the Americans might say, pure BS. Charles was never going to go to Sharm-el-Sheikh, the palace knew it and the government knew it; this is just a weak attempt by some two-bit hack to make a minor bit of news, a nothing-burger. Do grow up.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Richard Page
October 2, 2022 12:21 pm

Wow. Must be that’s your story and you’re sticking with it? Fair enough.

If there was never a plan to go to COP27 and both parties knew that, then there would have been nothing for Truss to object to. If there was no plan to give a speech, then there would also be no logical reason to “ask for advice” on the matter.

If your premise were true why wouldn’t the palace simply deny that there had been any discussion? Why in fact wouldn’t the palace say “this is just a weak attempt by some two-bit hack to make a minor bit of news, a nothing-burger.” (Or some haughty proper Etonesque version thereof)?

No, on the contrary, they confirmed that there was an exchange and imply that the king decided that the PM had given good counsel and chose to follow it. If you like living in a dream world, who am I to disabuse you of your fantasies?

My British ancestors in Boston threw off this anachronism nearly 250 years ago. But we’re back to having a tyrant probably worse than barking mad King George III (and more demented), so who knows which way is the right approach after all?

Richard Page
Reply to  Rich Davis
October 2, 2022 12:53 pm

The latter half of your post merely counters the first half and supports my position.
The fact that both the palace and government knew Charles wasn’t going to Sharm-el-Sheikh has absolutely nothing to do with a reported exchange between the King and his PM supporting an official announcement from the palace.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Richard Page
October 2, 2022 1:34 pm

The statement by the palace came out after the news report claiming that Truss ordered the king not to get involved with COP27.

I simply don’t think it is credible that the king initiated the request for advice on something he wasn’t actual contemplating, that the palace statement claims occurred. It is a transparent fig leaf, a bit of fiction designed to pretend that Charles has some legitimate power over government rather than being an over-indulged actor in a medieval play.

You like the monarchy and I like a Republic. Our opinions are fixed. The fact that America has lost its Republic doesn’t argue in favor of retaining a sham monarchy in Britain. Both of our countries have lost what liberty was once enjoyed.

Cheshire Red
Reply to  Rich Davis
October 4, 2022 9:16 am

Rich,

The protocol is the Monarch ‘seeks advice’ from the PM during confidential audiences. The PM will never reveal exact details of any such audience with the King, although overviews can sometimes be given.

It’s all a jolly polite way of respecting both parties positions, ie Monarch and PM, not their personal views.

John Kelly
October 1, 2022 2:06 pm

Lucky, lucky bastard. What an all-star line-up, including you Eric.

High Treason
Reply to  Eric Worrall
October 3, 2022 3:55 am

At least the leather shop people are on our side, so deserved the business.

October 1, 2022 10:00 pm

It is wonderful to see a gathering like this.

Reality will prevail. The question is how long before that happens.

High Treason
October 2, 2022 3:14 am

The feral useful idiots outside would not have done their cause any favours with their din. It was all- racists, fascists, racists, fascists. No actual substance, just the product of their propaganda and brainwashing.
Even belted out at full bore, the short song- (If you want to find a fascist, just look in the mirror, that’s where the fascist will be) didn’t penetrate in to the the throng of useful idiots through their deplatformingly loud din.
Day two ended with some fireworks. Senator Malcolm Roberts brought out some home truths for the nominally conservative Liberal party to ponder. Then, the panel discussion with Liberal party stalwarts found themselves getting booed! This was from a (true) conservative crowd. It is not as though they didn’t deserve it. The panel were stunned that they would be booed. The most unenthusiastic applause would have cemented the hint that the Liberals are on the nose.
Given that the Liberal party is a sponsor of CPAC, it will be interesting what happens in the future.
Looks like it is time to get my ideas of a plan to rid the Liberals of their biggest burden to those that can pull off my plan. The best person to bring the plan up with disappeared, obviously highly embarrassed. It was devised years ago-this particular figure in the party is a menace.
The leftie media will have a field day over the latent anger conservatives have for the traitors in the nominally conservative party. What it did show is that true conservatives are on to the traitors that have infested the party like cockroaches

Megs
Reply to  High Treason
October 3, 2022 4:30 am

I spoke to one of those panel
members back in 2020.

We told her then that Morrison had betrayed his quite Australians and that he would not win the next election.

We told her that our concerns were not getting past the gatekeepers and that the Liberal Party was out of touch with it’s constituents.

We told her that the Liberal Party was moving so far left that they were barely recognisable from the Labour Party and that in fact Matt Kean would be better suited to representing the Greens.

We told her that pushing renewables in this country would bring Australia to its knees.

We told her that we couldn’t get a response or a meeting with any politicians to express our concerns or to present to them the copious information we had gathered as to why wind and solar would not work.

She promised to set up a meeting for us, an opportunity for us to have face to face discussions with politicians. It hasn’t happened, even after several respectful reminders.

The Liberal Party has largely walked away from its conservative values. The comments made by those panel members on Sunday were a disgrace. They weren’t actually telling people to be respectful, they were effectively telling them to shut up. The fact that they were so surprised at the audience reaction simply demonstrates how out of touch they are.

We want a return to strong conservative government. We want a return, at least to the centre. If not right of centre. We haven’t gone anywhere and to say we are far right is absurd.

But most of all we want to be heard.