PM a climate fence sitter? Climate Institute chief John Connor sees Prime Minister Abbott as straddling a global warming 'barbed wire fence', after the PM dismissed claims of a link between bushfires and climate change. PT11M6S http://www.smh.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2w287 620 349 October 24, 2013 Environment Minister Greg Hunt launching an environment app in Victoria. Launching an app for vegetable growers and farmers in Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, on Friday, Mr Hunt stuck to the government line that the Coalition has always accepted the science. He criticised what he saw as attempts to use the NSW bushfires as an example of climate change. "The debate this week has been an attempt by some to misuse tragedy and suffering and hardship and nobody should do that," he told reporters after the launch. He pointed in agreement to the chief scientist Ian Chubb, who on Thursday said individual events could not be attributed to climate change. However, when pressed to talk more broadly about the impacts of climate change and the scientific consensus that climate change will mean an increase in the intensity and frequency of bushfires in Australia, he declined. This is not a debate about the science, this is a debate about the carbon tax. In terms of NSW, nobody should try and misuse that suffering. He repeated that Australia has always had bushfires. He defended his interview this week with the BBC World Service, in which he said he cited Wikipedia as a source. "Whether you cite CSIRO or any other form, is there anybody who doubts that bushfire has been an annual experience for the Australian population of the last 150 years?" he asked. with Bridie Smith