Tony Abbott’s determination to make his great big new lie stick has extended to an attack on investor confidence and certainty that threatens Australia’s renewable energy industry, generation infrastructure, Australian jobs and the price paid by everyday Australians for their energy needs, Deputy Greens Leader and Climate Change spokesperson Christine Milne said today.
“Mr Abbott is increasingly desperate. He knows that he can’t, and won’t, repeal the carbon package legislation as his economically irresponsible political gamble would be devastating to Australian industry and Australian jobs,” Senator Milne said.
“But he also knows that his leadership and bid for The Lodge depends upon it.
“Mr Abbott is so keen to get into The Lodge that he is prepared to say and do anything to junk investment in energy generation and send householders’ power bills sky-high while he is in Opposition, knowing full well that he will not abolish the scheme if he ever got into government.
“Certainty is essential for investment in desperately needed energy infrastructure but it is clear that Mr Abbott wants a capital strike.
“Mr Hockey and Mr Robb, acting as if they are part of a government-in-waiting although an election is two years away, say the Coalition would abolish the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
“Far from being a slush fund the clean energy fund is a statutory authority designed to prevent political fingers undermining its effectiveness. It is a cornerstone of the economy’s transition to a clean energy future,” Senator Milne said.
“The Coalition is directly attacking expansion of renewable energy which the community wants to support and wants people to believe that it has an alternative climate change policy.
“Wrong. They have no policy, they have a white paper process.
“Whilst Mr Abbott said (on 14/10/2011), ‘an incoming Coalition government’s first instruction to the public service would be to prepare legislation to rescind the tax. It would be our first order of parliamentary business’,” Senator Milne said.
“But yesterday his climate change spokesperson explained (AFR, 17/10/2011) that the Coalition might not be so hasty, proposing a white paper process.”
“Today Hockey said, ‘one of the things we will be repealing’ which begs the question, which ones will you not be?”
“Perhaps the Coalition is realising the absurdity of backing a ‘direct action plan’ that would cost the taxpayer more than $100 billion. Perhaps they are weighing it up against the package the Greens agreed with the Government that will make big polluters pay, assist householders and provide for the future energy options on which so much of the rest of business depends,” Senator Milne said.
