[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Labor Squirming Over Tamar Valley Power Station Purchase_K Booth MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

TAMAR VALLEY POWER STATION PURCHASE NOW A FAIT ACCOMPLI?

As Government Energy Strategy Collapses Under Basslink Gamble

Kim Booth MP
Greens Shadow Energy Spokesperson
 
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today responded to the Premier's Ministerial
Statement regarding the government's buy back of the Tamar Valley Power
Station, which had been predicted by the Greens, saying that the
purchase was now a fait accompli due to Labor control of the Lower
House.

Greens Shadow Energy spokesperson and Member for Bass Kim Booth MP said
today that all domestic power consumers would ultimately pay the price
of both the Tamar Valley Power Station buy-back, and the Basslink
gamble, which has left Tasmania in a perilous energy position, through
increased power prices.

Mr Booth also pointed out that the Premier suddenly has had to take over
the issue of the Tamar Valley power saying that it appears that Mr
Llewellyn had bungled this project and misinformed the public about its
future so badly that Mr Bartlett has had to intervene in a desperate
attempt to restore government credibility.

"The Labor government has now locked Tasmania into expensive power with
no room to move," said Mr Booth.

"This latest farce of the government buying back the Tamar Valley Power
Station is just another sad chapter in Labor's book of energy mistakes."

"Thanks to Labor incompetence and failure to listen to advice, we are
now taking over a half finished lemon with no grid connection at this
time, instead of a unit that should have been custom built to operate
within the frequency restraints of the current Tasmanian system, as the
Greens had advocated when we were the only Party in the Parliament to
vote against the station's sale last year."

"Again and again I queried what was going on with the Tamar Valley Power
Station, and I was just fobbed off by Mr Llewellyn, I broke the news
publicly last week that the government intended to buy back the station
and was ridiculed by the Minister at the time."

"Now it is David Llewellyn who looks ridiculous as his ducking and
weaving, and bungling of the Energy portfolio, has been exposed to the
extent that it has required the Premier to have to step in, confess to
the Tasmanian public, and clean up the mess," Mr Booth said.



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