'Probably didn't mean it': Karl's savage shot at MP over 'weather girl' apology

Returning The Today Show host Karl Stefanovic has taken a dig at Liberal MP Craig Kelly after he was embroiled in an online spat with a British TV weather reporter over his stance on climate change.

Laura Tobin branded Mr Kelly a “climate change denier” when he appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain in the UK on Monday, prompting a further roasting from host Piers Morgan.

When the former Britain’s Got Talent judge cut Mr Kelly’s response to such accusations off, he took to social media to lambast Tobin and called her a “ignorant pommy weather girl”.

The resulting furore around his post, less than 48 hours after Scott Morrison was forced to reassure Australians the coalition took climate change seriously, prompted Mr Kelly to remove his post and apologise to Tobin.

However on Wednesday morning, with Tobin appearing on The Today show from London, Stefanovic questioned Mr Kelly’s sincerity.

“Look I’m not going to speak for him but Craig Kelly probably didn’t mean the apology... he is who he is,” he said.

Tobin explained how she couldn’t help herself and interrupt when Mr Kelly was failing to link the ongoing bushfire crisis with climate change.

“I was sitting at the sideline with Piers Morgan talking to him and it just was the lack of link between the wildfires.... with climate change,” she said.

“It just made me really infuriated and I normally sit quietly on the side of the studio and I burst out "No, it is not! "and then they just came to me.”

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It was at this point Tobin told Mr Kelly “you are burying your head in the sand” over climate change.

Following Mr Kelly’s scathing response on Facebook, Tobin later tweeted her credentials, justifying her position to voice her stance on the bushfires.

“Yes I’m a meteorologist,” she began, noting she had a degree in Physics and Meteorology, four years experience as an aviation forecaster with the RAF and 12 years experience as a broadcaster meteorologist.

She also noted she’d also attended a recent World Meteorological Organization climate change course.

Tobin told Stefanovic she had no interest in continuing her feud with Mr Kelly.

“I am not going to bare any grudges because there are much more important things going on with the wildfires where you, for me to be upset,” she said.

“I really don't mind what he or anyone else calls me. As long as the most important thing we are now talking more about is climate change.”

But Piers Morgan was less forgiving, saying there was an element of irony in Mr Kelly’s insult.

“I’m afraid Mr Kelly you are the ignorant one. You are an ignorant fool and we’re going to send Laura to dismantle you,” he said.

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