Australians don’t want ‘fanaticism’ in the climate change debate: Howard

Former prime minister John Howard says the public doesn't want "fanaticism" when it comes to the climate change debate. His comments come after Greens leader Richard Di Natale told Sky News the governments inaction over climate change has put lives at risk". Mr Howard said despite the earlier-than-expected fire season, the public wanted a sensible debate on the issue. "We are also bound to be concerned about our economy, to understand the value of export industries like coal and iron ore," he said. "The Australian people want balance, they dont want extremes...they want a sensible working out of the problem". Mr Howard said the current bushfire crisis was exacerbated by the drought and fuel loads. The cause is obviously the prolonged drought and the fuel loads in various parts of the country, he said. "The drought has been very long and severe, the debate is the contribution climate change has made to that. "I think the sort of approach the federal government is taking on this issue is the right approach." The former prime minister also defended Mr Morrison against criticism over his handling of the crisis, saying the prime minister did not lack "compassion or empathy". Image: News Corp Read More Our Apps