Essay by Eric Worrall
Could this taxpayer funded climate conference possibly get more embarrassing?
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen turns to unions to fill seats at $20m pre-COP climate summit shunned by world leaders
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has subbed in unionists to help fill seats at his $20 million climate summit after world leaders declined to attend the event.
Oscar Godsell Political Reporter
August 18, 2026 – 5:00AMClimate Change Minister Chris Bowen has turned to an international union federation to help fill the seats at his taxpayer-funded Pre-COP climate summit in Fiji.
The move comes as world leaders shun the climate gathering, which has been billed at a cost of more than $20 million to Australian taxpayers.
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Public Services International revealed it was personally invited by Mr Bowen to attend Pre-COP meetings at their recent sub-regional advisory committee meeting.
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“Public sector workers are holding communities together through climate crises and health emergencies,” PSI said in a statement.
“Their voices must be at the centre of COP31. PSI welcomes the invitation to bring these frontline experiences to the Pre-COP in Fiji.”
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Read more: https://www.news24.com.au/politics/australian-politics/climate-change-minister-chris-bowen-turns-to-unions-to-fill-seats-at-20m-precop-climate-summit-shunned-by-world-leaders/news-story/8c3074c813a01802c0328ccec9ae0778
I only have one question – did Aussie Federal Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen get his idea to invite union members from my parody mockery of his bungled climate conference?
When I first created the parody image of Albanese and Bowen at the top of this article and as my featured image for my previous article on this absurdity of a climate conference, I thought it would be funny to suggest Bowen and Albanese are so desperate to fill seats they mistake the hotel janitor for a climate conference attendee. But this move to invite union members to fill seats which were meant to be filled by heads of state has turned my parody effort into reality.
I wonder how the handful of Pacific Leaders who accepted the invitation feel about being treated the same as their employees when it comes to seating arrangements? Or do the leaders get some kind of top table?
I now understand why the reddit thread Not the Onion was created, in homage to the famous parody website The Onion. Today’s world is so absurd, sometimes it’s difficult to tell parody from real life events.
