Kevin Rudd announces 7 point plan to halt climate change

My Fellow Australians, as we all know and as I've said on many occasions, Climate Change is the greatest moral challenge of our generation. Not the second greatest or just top ten, but quite simply the greatest moral challenge of our generation. As I travel around this great nation talking to working families, it has become clear that many folk are becoming increasingly perplexed by what seems to be a lack of programmatic specificity regarding what I and many other learned citizens are calling the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

Would we like to be doing more to halt climate change? Yes we would and to that end I have taken the hard desicion to put Australia and my Government at the forefront of this issue. No more talk fests, no more debates, no more delays. The science, as the scientists keep telling us, is settled and now is the time of action. To delay leadership and action on the greatest moral challenge of our generation is no longer an option.

Recently myself and the government have been criticised for not taking genuine leadership on this issue of climate change, or as I like to call it, the greatest moral challenge of our generation. I must bear some of the burden of this criticism as I've taken more plane flights this year than the average Australian takes in their lifetime. I also, in fact, don't have any solar panels on my house even though there's a whacking great rebate available. This is not good enough any more.

In order that myself and my government should be seen as genuine environmental crusaders, I will be immediately employing a 7 point strategy to halt climate change and give us back the Barrier Reef as we once knew it. We will putting an end to bushfires and unseasonal rains by doing the hard yards on what many see as the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

Here is my plan

1. Leadership in action.
We will immediately cut off all mains electricity to all Government buildings and institutions. Parliament House will immediately be covered in solar panels and the flag pole will be converted to a wind powered generator.

All ministers and bureaucrats will forgo all hydrocarbon burning methods of transport altogether. Yes, that means no cars and no plane trips. We simply can't go on expecting working families to bear the brunt of our climate change counter measures. We ALL need to bear the burden, Politicians even more so. Free train and bus passes will be issued to all MP's and public servants.

2. Personal Responsibility.
All Labor politicians and senior public servants will immediately, out of their own pockets, install solar panels and water tanks to their personal residences. Those who own more than one property will be deemed to be legally greedy and will hand over any additional property to the refugees from Tuvalu.

3. Education Revolution.
We recognise the effort put in to the Labor Parties election by the education sector in Australia. We also recognise that this sector has been quite vocal on the need for action on climate change and needs to share the leadership in this vital issue. Therefore we will no longer be accepting International Students into our Universities and Schools. While the dollars are nice the emissions involved in importing Students just for money are simply too great. We can't talk about cutting emmissions then import Students at great carbon cost. Those who choose to swim here may apply for an exemption.
Because most of our own Students have little education of any worthwhile value, they don't really have much hope of attending any sort of "Real" University so Uni places will immediately be halved. Likewise lecturers and tutors. Sorry folks, we all know that fixing the climate wouldn't be be without cost. Time to fall on your sword for the good of Mother Gaia.

4. The Science Is Settled.
It's as simple as that folks, the science is settled. Climate change exists. Therefore there is no further point in research in this area. Further applications for research are to be treated as 'deniers" and fobbed off.

5. Climate Change Funding.
All monies normally reserved for Climate Change Research are now unnecessary due to point 4. Therefore, this resource will now be spent on practical, workable solutions for the Worlds' needy. All research efforts will now be devoted to clean drinking water, sanitation and education for the Worlds poor. Excess University lecturers and School teachers will be sent to drought stricken, third World areas to help those folk in a first hand way. Those not willing to relocate will be offered "Green Jobs" which include wiping the dust of solar panels and mopping up bird guts from wind farms.

6. Properly resourcing the ABC.
The ABC has done a great job but is no longer needed. The Culture Wars have been won. Howard and Bush are behind us. The money raised from the sale of the ABC will be directed to helping older Australians who need care, companionship and support. We're sure the folks there will understand and should a buyer for the station not be found, most of the employees are top grade and will probably have no trouble finding a real job.

7. Sensible funding of the Arts.
The Australian Arts community have been quite strident and vocal in theirs calls for action on climate change so I'm sure they will be quite understanding and helpful in this regard, going forward. While they are mostly nice people, they surely must realise that compared to the greatest moral challenge of our generation, interpretive dance, welding scrap metal and drawing must come second.
From this point on, all monies and resources once dedicated to the "Arts" community will be re-directed to moving our Indigenous communities closer to areas where there is meaningful work and facilities for them. We now recognise they are human beings and not museum relics and that they deserve an equal chance at life. This cannot be provided in squalid, third World, inhumane, racially and culturally segregated situations. They need to have the opportunity to flourish or fail on their own merits, like every other Australian.
We are sure the Arts community will see the urgency and gladly hand over their grants and fundings for such an important community matter.

You will no doubt agree that this is a radical plan but I feel that it is one that will capture the Nations attention and raise awareness of an issue that is indeed the greatest moral challenge of our generation. The very essence of it is Leadership In Action. Once the general public sees their political leaders engaging in real, honest action, I'm sure they won't hesitate to follow us in tackling this, the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

Thankyou.