Al Gore 'disappointed' warning to Palmer

Climate change activist Al Gore tried to convince Clive Palmer to retain a price on carbon, says the man who brokered their discussions.

gore and palmer.jpg
Former US vice-president Al Gore stood alongside Clive Palmer as the maverick MP announced his party's willingness to scrap the carbon tax but it has since emerged there was not full agreement between the pair.

Former Australian Conservation Foundation boss Don Henry, who helped facilitate the meeting between the international climate change activist and Mr Palmer, said all was not as it seemed.

"Mr Gore tried to convince Mr Palmer that it would be good to hold on to the existing emissions trading scheme and price, and he made the comment ... that he will be disappointed if they are repealed," Mr Henry told ABC TV on Thursday.

The three men dined together after Wednesday's joint press conference in Canberra when the Palmer United Party leader announced he would support abolishing the carbon tax as long as laws were put in place to ensure energy providers pass on savings to consumers.

Mr Henry said that despite the united front, "the two men did not find full agreement".

Mr Palmer's plans include a new emissions trading scheme with a zero-dollar starting price, plus the retention of key climate bodies.

He has heralded Mr Gore's support.

"He's pretty well known on this issue and he came to Canberra to see us because he thought our policy was best - didn't see the Greens, didn't see the prime minister," Mr Palmer told AAP.

Legislation to scrap the carbon tax passed the lower house on Thursday and with PUP support is set to pass the Senate in July.


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