Mr Cobb, who has previously served as the nation’s assistant environment minister, has questioned the impact human activity has had on rising temperatures, sea levels and the ongoing drought.

While not disputing there had been an obvious rise in global temperatures over the past decade, the Member for Calare also launched a scathing attack on “special interest groups “set to profit from an emerging green-powered industry”.

“I’m a sceptic in the sense of the speed of the actions proposed by the government which are, at best, a staggering over response to a populist issue.

“I’m just sick of the doomsday people who say that if we don’t act tomorrow we will be dead by next week,” Mr Cobb said.

As the former assistant environment minister, Mr Cobb said he was briefed on the effect of climate change by some of the nation’s most respected scientists.

“But even science can get things wrong sometimes.

“All the people I dealt with in that role that were convinced about the extent of man’s contribution to climate change are probably a little too convinced,” Mr Cobb said.

“But saying that I don’t blame the scientists because they’ve had their information picked up by people who have blown the issue out of context because they see this as their political lifeline.”

As the federal representative of Calare, one of the most drought-ravaged electorates in the country,

Mr Cobb said his doubts about the effects of climate change were vindicated by “people of the land”, who he said were often the best people to judge the environment.

“I have a great respect for the instincts of people who live in the elements and I don’t see any old bushmen or farmers panicking just yet,” he said.

Mr Cobb’s comments have been slammed by Climate Change Minister Penny Wong who said that for 12 years Mr Cobb and the National Party “did nothing” despite scientific warnings.