CHRISTINE MILNE Hobart, Friday 22 May 2009
The Minerals Council’s jobs scare campaign pales into insignificance next to the hundreds of thousands of jobs that would not be created if the Rudd Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme goes ahead as planned, the Australian Greens said today.
“Transforming Australia into a zero carbon powerhouse would create at least 800,000 jobs, but the CPRS would lock out the potential to create more than a handful,” said Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.
“The Rudd Government’s Continue Polluting Regardless Scheme sandbags the old, polluting economy instead of embracing the tremendous potential of wholesale economic transformation.
“Study after study has shown that a serious plan to transform Australia into a carbon neutral powerhouse would create a jobs boom, but a weak target and $12.6 billion in handouts to the biggest and noisiest polluters simply cannot deliver.
“To deliver a clean energy jobs boom, we need jobs and training packages for workers most at risk in the old economy. We need an industry and manufacturing plan, along with policies to roll out renewable energy, energy efficiency, public transport systems and an intelligent grid, to create the jobs. And we need to aim high, with a strong emissions target that will actually protect the climate.
“The Greens have been promoting these positive, jobs-creating policies for years, but the old parties are closing ranks with the old polluters and are locking out the climate and the community.
“The Australian community expects the Minerals Council to fight tooth and nail for their short-term interests, but they have a right to expect their Government to stand up for Australia’s long-term future.
“Tragically, the Rudd Government is more interested in listening to industry rent-seeking than the community demands for action to prevent climate crisis.”
http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au
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