When the film producer Simon Nasht approached me about taking part in a documentary on climate change for ABC TV, I was just a little sceptical.
While I trusted Simon, this was the ABC, not renowned for its balance on this subject. And he wanted to pit me, a grey-haired, late-50s conservative male, against an attractive, articulate, 20-something female. Was it a set-up?
Simon was persuasive, and since I was about to leave Parliament, I figured I had nothing to lose. Importantly, it might be an opportunity for opinions not normally aired on the ABC to get a run.
So began an odyssey involving 10 cities in 21 days with four film crew - to Perth, Heron Island, the Flinders Ranges, the whole time with a camera recording my every action and utterance. I look back on the experience with affection, and I congratulate the production team on the finished product, and the ABC for broadcasting it.