The man who was once hailed as the world's best finance minister has called on the G20 to put climate change back at the core of its agenda, arguing Australia is using its privileged position as host to slow down progress on the matter.
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In a speech at the L20 Summit on Wednesday evening, former Treasurer Wayne Swan will argue that in Washington, Berlin and elsewhere around the world there has been "genuine dismay about the lack of attention to climate change in the G20 agenda".
Australia has been resisting calls from the US, France and other European countries to formally discuss climate change at the international summit in Brisbane at the weekend.
"At best, Australia has gone from leader to laggard on climate change. At worst, it's gone from lifter to leaner," Mr Swan will say.
"Sadly, whatever the outcome of the G20 on any of the other substantive issues before it, history will recall that in 2014, Australia used its privileged position to slow progress on what President Obama has called a 'growing an urgent threat'."
The former Labor Treasurer, who represented Australia at the G20 at the height of the global financial crisis, said "the spinners" would argue that climate change will be discussed under the heading of "energy efficiency" at the summit.
He will counter that climate change is not a fringe issue and is central to economic growth and political stability.
Mr Swan will also use his speech at the L20 event - which incorporates the views of the labour movement - to call for sustainable growth at the G20 that reduces unemployment as well as inequality.
"Of the 60-plus official meetings that have taken place under Australia's 2014 G20 presidency, a grand total of one has managed to produce a final communique or meeting report that mentions the word 'inequality'."
Ahead of the weekend's summit, Mr Swan has been critical of the lack of access given to labour leaders.
Yesterday, he tweeted, "if #G20 leaders have agreed to meet with business leaders (B20), why has the Aus Govt refused access to labour leaders (L20)?"
Mr Swan will also tell the L20 event there are lots of reasons to celebrate the G20 meeting at the weekend, "be it the natural pride we can take in hosting a globally important gathering, or the quieter pride I take as as Queenslander in Brisbane prevailing over Sydney and Melbourne in the hosting stakes".
