MP's support questioned

Warrnambool Standard
Friday 10/11/2006, Page: 5

Keppel Prince boss Stephen Garner has accused member for South West Coast Denis Napthine of not supporting the southwest's wind farm industry. Mr Garner said Dr Napthine claimed to support wind farms but hadn't supported the Victorian Renewable Energy Target(VRET) scheme, which he said was essential for the future of 80 of his staff.

Labor Party candidate for South West Coast, Roy Reekie, has also criticised Dr Napthine's stance on wind farms. Mr Reekie said Dr Napthine said he supported wind farms but hadn't stopped his party's plans to abolish VRET.

"Denis is two-faced on this issue. He'll say one thing here and do the opposite in Melbourne," Mr Reekie said.

Dr Napthine yesterday hit back, accusing the State Government and wind industry of "playing politics" by claiming that the VRET scheme was essential to the wind industry's future.

"There's politics being played here by the State Government and the wind industry, which is trying to promote even greater assistance and subsidies and government promotion," Dr Napthine said. "The fact remains I am a long-term supporter and advocate of wind farms." Dr Napthine said he did not support VRET because he believed it should be replaced by a national scheme.

"If you just go as an individual state what you do is push up electricity prices in one state and you drive investment and jobs into other states." Dr Napthine said he didn't believe south west projects would be threatened by cutting the VRET scheme. "VRET was only passed a couple of months ago. Macarthur has been proposed for three or four years," he said.