Oh, I am just so glad I didn't dismiss this article out of hand!
This is yet another warped academic thinker who flies by faith rather than by facts.
Claus is very well qualified to speak of life under communism. He may have been influenced by Lysenkoism - is certainly aware of that fiasco.
Criticise Lord Monckton, whose father was a Lord as well, because he does not follow the faith.
The facts are that we were assured of so many FACTS twenty five years ago and none of them have come to be proved by real measurement.
So this author, having no facts to prove that humans are warming the planet at an alarming rate falls back on the usual green argument. Attack the man, not the ball. In Canada, the greens are attacking Prof Tim Ball, typical green modus operandi.
Prove that humans are overheating the planet and I'll certainly examine your hypothesis.
Continue with attacking those of us who don't believe and you'll get further responses/

What a load of codswallop. I was privileged to attend the Brisbane lunch sponsored by IPA and the Mannkal Foundation and to hear an excellent talk by a great man. Would that we had more politicians of his calibre in this country and on the world stage. The room was packed and he received a standing ovation - but not a mention in the media.

John McRobert

The Robo deniers are out in force again.
One of the the organizations that welcomed this deluded man is its self a right wing BAU denialist front. Connected with the heartland institute. In 2009 the Mannkal Economic foundation was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's 2009 conference for climate change skeptics.

They do not give up trying to change white to black and continually flood the Internet with their pathetic attempts to challenge the science and the facts that are before their eyes.
I know that some of them are the products of vested interests that are aimed at continuing their polluting industries for the foreseeable future in search of more profits but some of them and that includes this idiot and the phony “lord” Monkton, are obviously deranged.

This article immediately had me thinking in technicolor.

The colour that came to mind is green. I wonder why?

Well, when you think about it, green is the colour we paint the young & silly. The new chum who must be watched, as he doesn't know enough to avoid hurting himself.

Then we have the political movement. This is filled by people who have a a lot to learn. The type of people who sit on the branch they are cutting off the tree. It takes quite a few impacts with reality for them to wise up, & move on.

Then we use it to colour envy. It could be envy of wisdom gained from a tough life. Idealists tend to this, before they learn the facts of life. We usually try to be kind to these, provided they are not too rude, & full of themselves, as we expect they will grow out of the affliction.

More often it is envy of those who have done something with their life. It could be great sportsmen, the rich, entertainers, or leaders, among others, & is usually displayed by those who all ready know they, themselves, will never amount to anything.

Perhaps someone could suggest why this bloke comes coloured green to me.

You do realise, I hope, that the office of President in Czechoslovakia is a figurehead position, like that of our own dear Governor-General? All he has waiting for him at home is dreary ceremonial duties, so it's not surprising if he wants to keep himself usefully occupied and spread his talents around a bit. After all, Our Quentin hasn't shown any aversion to a bit of globetrotting at the taxpayers' expense:

http://www.news.com.au/national/governor-general-quentin-bryces-africa-trip-cost-700000/story-e6frfkvr-1225791918139

The difference, of course, is that Klaus has something useful and important to say.

What a poisonous little rant by a jumped up leftie who spends 200 days a year traveling, "jet setting" his bio reads around the world .. at someone else's expense?

This person questions someone who says greenie lefties are hypocrites .. yes, I can see how the Czech president upsets him, drawing attention to his hypocrisy.

His line "But just why has no-one questioned the veracity of his visit as a sitting head of state?" is just the usual sleazy and nasty leftie fabrication as the President was traveling as a private person, and anyone who invested so much time in finding out about him, would know. Deceipt by omission is alive and well in leftie camps.

Regardless, these unkind little "attack the man" tirades just underline and reinforce the vacuous nature of AGW believers and lefties generally who are quick to attack anyone who disagrees.

The author even attacks others who come to Australia, a free country, with differing views, and I'm sure, when he's in charge, will stop this sort of behavior and only allow "correct thinking people" to come here .. we all look forward to that time.

For those who try to denigrate people by questioning their funding, I don't see you questioning who funds Al Gore when he comes here, the AYCC children's crusade who have nebulous link to groups in the USA which they REFUSE to disclose .. who also receive taxpayer largesse, why is that?

Are you only concerned with one person or groups funding? Why not all, or is questioning the "correct thinking people" not acceptable.

Anyway, this is just more fuel for the general perception that the greenie left is bankrupt of deep thought and all it has left is diatribe.

Not exactly an unbiased article, was it?

Anyway - the author is only 21, GREEN between and behind his ears, so I guess, can be forgiven! :-) I watched Václav Klaus' interview on the ABC's "National Press Club" [where he was ceremoniously presented with a pen :-] and must admit that he spoke eloquently and with conviction. The press correspondents in attendance treated him with courtesy and fairly. Sure, he was 'flogging' his book - but he also gave a clear outline of his position on global warming and climate change. Again, I guess that if you live in a country that often has temperatures reaching 20 degrees below zero, a few extra degrees of "warmth' would be quite inviting! :-) As for Thom Woodroofe, I would have written on his paper : "B- shows promise, but must not let his fantasies run way with the facts."

Yuri K. (retired academic)...

Regardless of his point of view what was interesting about this article was the context in which it occurred.

A head of state was invited by a private organization which is a partisan propaganda factory for the right-wing of the Liberal party to give speeches on a highly controversial topic.

Any kind of diplomatic protocol re the visits of heads of state whether real or "ceremonial" was completely ignored. His visit was not granted official recognition by either the Governor General, the Federal Government, or even State Premiers.

There are of course diplomatic protocols which circumscribe the kinds of things that heads of state should say IN PUBLIC FORUMS when visiting other countries.

There was a report in the paper re this chaps arrival in Oz-land.

This chap was so full of his own strutting self-importance that when he fronted up to customs for identification he presumed that because he was so "important" that he could strut right through.

Usually in the scheme of things important people, especially heads of state, arrange beforehand the necessary procedures to forgo the usual process of identification that us hoi-polloi have to endure.

This was not done with this chap so he was told that he had to go through the same procedures as everyone else.

Retreating and protesting of course, but don't you know who I am?

Yes just another human being with the same rights and obligations as everyone else, so get in line and follow the prescribed procedures.

Interesting ho hum, yet Tony Blair was visiting in an "unofficial capacity" and was welcomed warmly by the government ..

I guess it helps he was pimping "clean energy solutions", it's not about morals or ethics, the government tries to pick winners and publicly declares anyone who questioned them will not be listened to, in their "debate"

The person who wrote the article is possibly angry at the turn of events, that the "consensus science" is being turfed out, is no longer believed and is generally doubted, so are the scientists of that "science", rightly so to .. the ones not involved directly, let it happen.

Fewer Australians than ever believe in it, so the latest tactic is to attack every single person as they raise their heads above the ramparts .. previously they were ignored (except by our government whose egos preclude vision).. score one for the skeptics, no longer ignored, they are now the majority.

Regardless of the hate attacks, like this, skepticism is only felled by such behavior

"A head of state was invited by a private organization which is a partisan propaganda factory"

so now we have the author, who set up his own "propaganda factory", responding.

Do you see the irony in this ho hum? The believers are thrashing around trying to find traction, and this is the best they can do .. oh well, ho hum, snore.

Never mind that Tony Blair is no longer the Prime Minister of the UK, but a private citizen (with a great deal of both baggage, and perhaps clout in international forums).

He has at least set up and sponsored organizations and forums which endeavor to promote ecumenical understanding, or cooperation, tolerance and peace.

He is of course also, under international law, a war criminal, as are his fellow leaders of the coalition of the killing.

Suprise suprise, I find my self agreeing with one of the denialist rat pack.

“He is of course also, under international law, a war criminal, as are his fellow leaders of the coalition of the killing.”

Hear. Hear. I hope to live to see the day when he along with Howard and dubbya are all put on trial at The Hague for war crimes.

Hey Thom,

Did you know that the latest peer-reviewed climate science literature, from former and current climate warmists, reveals (1) that CO2 emissions follow from increases in global temperatures, (2) that the rate of sea level increases are decelerating and (3) that average global surface temperatures over the past decade are actually falling.

Now those three issues are the basis of you green ravers evidence of global wasrming.

Can you please direct me to the current, and I mean current peer reviewed climate science literature that disputes the indication of global cooling in the current peer reviewed climate science literature.

No I didn't think you could!

Now there's your cue to abuse me ... if you dare!

Aclav Klaus would have more insight,knowledge and experience in his little finger than Thom Woodoope could hope to amass in a lifetime.

The difference between you Thom and Vaclav is that he has had real life experiences to learn from,while you regurgitate what you have learnt from academics whose greatest ambition is to suck off the public purse.

Thom, the things we learn from articles such as this are; your level of desperation to keep the dream alive, just how much of a threat free speech is to you, that it is commentary like yours that is destroying the credibility of the AGW orthodoxy, that you are gullible, obsessive, predictable and just don’t get it.

Keep up the good work

Woodroof’s comment is a put-down of a distinguished Czech. President Klaus did not fabricate his qualifications. He studied in the then Czechoslovakia and then at Cornell. He is a published economist as is his wife who is a Slovak. I followed him with interest as he and Vaclav Havel (a writer) have been the towering figures in Czechoslovak (and later Czech) national life. President Klaus remains the pre-eminent statesman of the Czech Republic. I heard him speak on an economics issue some twenty years ago and in the ensuing question time it became obvious that he was competent. (I was a tenured lecturer in economics at a major university at the age of 21). To suggest that the President was “pocket-lining” in Australia is silly and defamatory. It shows Woodroof to have no idea of President Klaus’s circumstances. To get the idea that as the Australian Prime Minister refused to meet Dr Klaus is a sign of his insignificance is to accord Ms Gillard an importance her probably miniscule term in office does not warrant. Nor does her incompetent record warrant it. Dr Klaus is an important figure on the world stage. Despite the vast political gap between him and Vladimir Putin, the two men are known to be close. And to wind up, Mr Woodroof is as slack with minor details as with the rest. The title of Dr Klaus’s latest book is spelled incorrectly and the title when translated reads “A Blue not Green Planet.”

Tom Jilek