Rupert Murdoch expresses his views on climate change.
- Rupert Murdoch was speaking on Sky News with The Australian's Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly
- Murdoch said Australia's contribution to climate change was virtually non-existent
- He called for investment in renewable energy to end, declaring 'windmills were rubbish
- Described PM Tony Abbott as an 'admirable, honest, principled man' who Australians should look up to
By Daniel Mills
Published: 17:44 EST, 13 July 2014 | Updated: 07:35 EST, 14 July 2014
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Rupert Murdoch says investment in renewable energy, such a windfarms, cost Australia too much
Australia shouldn't be building 'windmills and all that rubbish' to prevent global warming when the only outcomes would be perhaps the Maldives disappearing beneath the sea, according to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
Speaking with Sky News, Mr Murdoch gave his frank assessment of the global warming phenomenon, conceding that because climate change was 'inevitable' houses should be built away from the shoreline.
The News Corp chairman said investment in renewable energy should end and there was probably little that could be done to save the island nation of the Maldives, considered one of the most at the most beautiful places on the planet.
In the same interview he also declared that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is an 'admirable, honest, principled man' who Australians should look up to.
Mr Murdoch was speaking with The Australian's Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly - who quizzed him on the newspaper's stance on historical and political issues and how the newspaper, which Murdoch owns, should 'balance environmental concerns, climate change concerns' and the need to maintain a competitive economy.
'What's the way Australia should approach this (climate change) issue?'
Murdoch said: 'Well I think we should approach this with great skepticism.'
Rupert Murdoch said he had met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott three or four times describing him as an admirable honest and principled man
Rupert Murdoch said Australia should build houses further in land and stop its investment in 'windmills and all that rubbish'
'If the sea level rises six inches, that's a big deal in the world, the Maldives might disappear or something, but OK, we can't mitigate that, we can't stop it,' he said.
'We have to stop building vast houses on seashores ... we can be the low-cost energy country in the world. We shouldn't be building windmills and all that rubbish.'
'The world has been changing for thousands and thousands of years. It's just a lot more complicated because we are so much more advanced.'
He called on Australians to be skeptical about the science of climate change, and said because the nation basically contributes 'nothing' to the global warming compared to the rest of the world, there was very little Australia should be doing.
'Climate change has been going on as long we have been here ... things are happening, but how much are we doing, with emissions and so on? Well as far as Australia goes nothing in the overall picture.'
On Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Mr Murdoch said he had met him 'three, four times, and the impression is that he is an admirable, honest, principled man and somebody that we really need as Prime Minister who we can all look up to and admire.'
'However, how much does he understand free markets and what should be happening? I don’t know. Only time will tell. It's too early to make a judgment on this government.'
He praised Australia for its entrepreneurial attitude, encouraging the country to work with its Asian neighbours, particularly China.
'We have to come to terms with the Chinese and live with them,' he said.
'I don't believe they are aggressive. I don't believe they want to take us over.'