AAP Newswire
Monday 16/10/2006
It was farcical that Australia's environment minister was in China opening a wind farm when he was stifling the industry at home, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell is in China this week heading a renewable energy business mission and to open a $300 million wind farm built by Australian company Roaring Forties.
But he has been under pressure in Australia for blocking a $200 million wind farm in eastern Victoria and over the collapse of at least two other wind farm projects. Its a farce. Ian Campbell has presided over the closing down of the wind industry in Australia and he's going to see that investment transferred into China," Senator Brown told reporters.
Senator Brown said Senator Campbell had squeezed solar research to death in Australia. Some of the best (technology) in the world, including sliver cell technology at the Australian National University (ANU), is likely to be bought up by the Chinese very soon," he said.
He blamed government policy for the transfer of Australia's renewable technology innovations to China. "What an extraordinary failure as minister Ian Campbell is, but it goes right to the prime minister - a failure of policy," he said.
The Chinese have a renewable energy aim of 15 per cent while Australia's got two per cent.
"While the government's closed down on the industry's expansion in Australia, here's the minister trotting off to China which has got the good sense to be buying our technology and roaring ahead.
"Make no mistake about this, Ian Campbell's going to China to see Australian profits made in China lost to this country, and thousands of Australian jobs lost to this country being boosted in China by his inaction in this country."
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