Record points to anti jobs stance

Age
19 Oct 2011, Page: 16

Ted Baillieu would do better to devote a bit more effort to getting Victoria out of the desalination plant's take-or-pay contract than continue his attack on Victoria's low-carbon future. This contract is going to cost Victorians far more than any slashing to the feed-in tariff will ever save.

Mr Baillieu's environmental record since the election bears summarising: slashing of the solar premium feed-in tariff; removal of the standard feed-in tariff in favour of a temporary arrangement; prohibitive restrictions on the installation of wind power generation; abandonment ofthe wind-down program for the dirty Hazelwood power station; effective abandonment of the 20% renewable energy target; and promotion of development of Melbourne's green wedges.

One could be excused for thinking that with the jobs to be lost in the solar industry, Mr Baillieu is actually anti-jobs and has no understanding that the world, like it or not, is heading into a low carbon future. But enough of this concern with the future of our children and the fate of jobs in a fickle state economy; let's get on to the important issues. Yeah, the selection of a safety slogan on number plates.

Robert Brown, Glen Iris