Green Labor not Backing RET Exemption for Major Industrials

Bryan Green cannot profess support for a bipartisan position on the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme while he stands with the Greens by refusing to support a full exemption for Tasmanian major industrials.

The Liberal Government has advocated strongly for the RET scheme to be continued and for a full exemption for major industrials, which support an estimated 10,000 direct and indirect Tasmanian jobs.

Unions are backing the push for a full exemption, workers are backing the push for a full exemption, yet Labor continues to equivocate, saying they will wait for the Federal Government’s position.

Clearly Bryan Green hasn’t noticed that the time to lobby for Tasmania on the RET is now. His federal Labor colleagues are now negotiating with the Commonwealth Government on an agreed position for the RET. If they strike a deal with the Commonwealth Government that doesn’t include the full exemption for Tasmanian major industrials it will be on the head of Bryan Green and Tasmanian Labor.

The Liberal Government has left the federal government in no doubt that we want a full exemption for our major industrials. If this isn’t included in the final deal reached in Canberra because Federal Labor didn’t back it, Bryan Green will have to explain to Tasmanians why he didn’t stand up for 10,000 Tasmanian jobs.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Energy