David Archibald – No Carbon Tax Rally, 16 August 2011

David Archibald is an Australia-based scientist operating in the fields of cancer research, oil exploration and climate science. He has published a number of papers on the solar influence on climate, and is a director of the Lavoisier Society, a group of Australians promoting rational science in public policy.

David Archibald is angry. He is angry at this government, at our science institutions and at ‘our’ ABC. They have all relentlessly propagandised and distorted the truth on climate change. They have done this in pursuit of a claimed higher moral duty of saving the world and ‘saving us’ from a theoretical climate catastrophe, from consumerism and from ourselves ….but without asking our permission.

But then Australia is angry like never before. Australia has generally had centrist governments, whether Labor or Liberal/National. But today they are angry over a Government that is unprecedented. A government that lied to get into power and that is extreme. Extreme in daily dishonesty and spin, extreme in its breathtaking incompetence, extreme in its sheer waste of taxes on left wing thought bubbles, extreme in introducing a ludicrous carbon tax it promised not to do, extreme in its tone deafness to Australian’s disapproval and extreme in acquiescing to lunatic Green ideology, from shutting down coal and livestock industries to frank antisemitism.

Most grievous has been the vilification and contempt by this government of its own population that has given it the permission to govern. The lowest primary vote in history for Labor, now barely at 26% in polls, can not occur without the electorate waiting with ‘baseball bats’ for Labor, as famously described by Labor’s own Premier Wayne Goss. Widespread resentment and anger by even Labor voters is palpable. Yet, the government is deaf and blind to the causes of this anger and instead calls those who vocally protest as extremist and fringe groups, it bypasses proper scrutiny of its actions, threatens newspapers critical of it’s performance and intimidates businesses opposed to their policies.

This government is a playground bully. It is insecure in its incompetence, blustering, always blaming others and quickly resorting to what it does best – using it’s brute power to issue threats and intimidation. For the first time, I believe Australia is afraid of it’s own government. For the first time, and incredibly, Australians need to stand up and take to the streets to protect our democracy and take back the country we love.