Two lousy (conservative) PMs

With good reason, I've disparaged Canadian despot Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his anti-science and anti-environment policies.  He's also running Canada with a very heavy ministerial hand.  Now, I haven't said as much about the relatively new Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, but he is the guy that got elected vowing to roll back one of the most forward-sighted laws on the planet regarding climate and energy, Australia's carbon tax. 

Well, these two lousy PMs have been back-slapping each other in recent public appearances. Commentator Christopher Hume rips this show of happy disdain.

Stephen Harper and Tony Abbott deserve each other: Hume

"Brothers in their short-sighted neglect of global warming, Canada and Australia’s prime ministers let cash rule everything around them.

That pained smile Harper adopts when forced to explain his most indefensible actions to a room full of doubters was much in evidence Monday when the two PMs showered the benefit of their wisdom upon ungrateful media hordes. The difference between us and them, we were reminded, is that other nations are hypocrites and we’re not. We’re upfront about it — the environment is not our issue. Other leaders may say they care; but they don’t.

Well, actually, some do care. But not Canada or Australia. Why should we? Just because Oz is burning up and beset with drought. Just because two-thirds of Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they reach 70. Just because Canada was the only country of 27 studied by the Centre for Global Development whose record on the environment actually got worse last year. Just because the tarsands are synonymous with greed, environmental degradation and, in Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s word, “filth.”  "

These guys are definitely not on my list of politicians to admire (which admittedly is a very short list).