Fran Bailey’s plan to put a shade cloth over the Great Barrier Reef is bizarre and impractical.

It is symbolic of a Government that is looking for political cover to hide the fact it has no plan to tackle climate change.

John Howard’s scepticism has blocked action by Australia to address the real and present threat of climate change, and the Howard Government is now desperately looking for political cover on climate change.

We need to reduce our greenhouse pollution, not publicly brainstorm absurd ideas.

Increased greenhouse gas concentrations will increase acidification of the Reef, not just increase the temperature of water.

The Howard Government is thrashing around for relevance on the greatest challenge facing the global community.

They can’t come up with a serious, comprehensive response because they have a Prime Minister who doesn’t think climate change is real.

Today in Question Time, the Prime Minister dismissed today’s Newspoll, which showed 86% of Australians want the Government to do more on climate change, and 79% want Australia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

The Prime Minister wrongly stated that this was an online poll. This is wishful thinking from a Prime Minister who crosses his fingers, and hopes climate change will go away.

Perhaps he also wishes Fran Bailey’s crazy idea will just go away.

The Great Barrier Reef is our most treasured natural icon, and a major job creator in northern Queensland.

The Reef is under threat from the Howard Government’s wrecking role in international efforts to tackle climate change.