[Greens-Media] Loans to householders, Massive gifts to coal corporations

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Loans to householders, Massive gifts to coal corporations

Monday April 30, 2007

Australian Greens climate change spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne,
today cautiously welcomed Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's acknowledgement
that decentralised renewable energy and energy efficiency have a vital
role to play in reducing emissions, but warned that massive structural
barriers must be addressed before the ALP's climate strategy can be
credible.

Senator Milne said "Mr Rudd should be asked why he is offering loans to
Australians to move to renewable energy and energy efficiency when he is
handing over far larger gifts to fossil fuel corporations at the same
time. He is joining Mr Howard in passing the blame and the costs onto
individuals to disguise the failure of government and industry to make
the structural changes necessary to tackle climate change.

"This $300 million loan program needs to be set next to the $500 million
handouts to coal corporations announced earlier this year. Australian
householders would be entitled to ask what the point of these loans
would be when their efforts would be undermined by far larger sums
handed over to the biggest polluters.

"Mr Rudd should read the report released today by Greenpeace and the
Institute for Sustainable Futures, Energy and Transport Subsidies in
Australia, which sets out some $10 billion in annual subsidies to the
polluting fossil fuel sector, compared with a tiny $330 million to
renewable energy.

"This report backs up the Greens policy, outlined last week in our
paper, Re-Energising Australia, to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to
the sustainable energy industries of the 21st century. The report
demonstrates that such action would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
create a level playing field to allow renewable energy to compete.

"Mr Rudd should also be asked whether he agrees with Mr Howard's
repeated lie that renewable energy cannot provide baseload energy in
Australia.

"Mr Howard's claim that only coal and nuclear power can supply baseload
energy is utterly wrong - renewable energy technologies such as solar
thermal, geothermal and bioenergy already supply significant amounts of
baseload energy in Europe and America.

"Unless he is called to account on this now, renewable energy may become
the 'children overboard' of the 2007 election. Mr Rudd, will you let
that happen or will you call Mr Howard on this lie?"

Contact Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562



Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 3 6224 8899 (Hobart)
Phone: + 61 2 6277 3063 (Canberra)
Mobile: + 61 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo at aph.gov.au
Skype: timhollo
Website: www.christinemilne.org.au