[Greens-Media] Greens' stimulus package to create 160, 000 jobs and power Australia's green economy

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Canberra, Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Greens' stimulus package to create 160,000 jobs and power Australia's green economy 

After long campaign, Greens welcome pension boost

The Australian Greens will green-up the Prime Minister's $10.4 billion package and extend it to ensure more jobs and local economic stimulus.

The Greens welcomed the package and say they will seek to have the $1.5 billion housing package lead into a four year, $4.7 billion plan aimed at creating thousands of green-collar jobs and assisting all homeowners.

"Countries with green economies are going to be the countries which do best this century. Greed has taken us into this crisis, Green will lead us out," Senator Brown said.

"A substantial injection of funds into upgrading Australia's housing stock to save energy would put money back into people's pockets as well as create thousands of green-collar jobs and reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions."

The housing upgrade is the first stage of the Greens' Energy Efficiency Savings and Access Initiative, EASI, which would roll out energy audits to homes across Australia-beginning with pensioners and other low-income earners-and pay the upfront costs of retrofitting those homes with energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, draught excluders and solar hot water.

In the first four years, over the Budget forward estimates, EASI would:
*	Invest $4.7 billion in Australia's homes, to be paid back through reduced household energy bills;
*	Upgrade 1.1 million homes (1% of homes in the first year, doubling each year);
*	Employ over 160,000 people in auditing and installation; and
*	Reduce greenhouse emissions by 3.8 million tonnes a year.

"Beyond the cash injection, the Greens' plan will train 160,000 people for the new green-collar workforce of the future," Senator Brown said.

"The Greens, after a year-long campaign, also welcomed the one-off boost to pensions. It should lead to a permanent upgrade of pensions in the 2009/10 budget, noting that pensioner groups have today called for the pension rate to be increased from 25% of average weekly earnings to 35% until a more appropriate pension measurement is developed.

"Let's learn the lessons of the sub-prime crash and invest now in a safe, responsible, green future," Senator Brown said.

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562 or Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603


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Ebony Bennett
Media Advisor 
Senator Bob Brown | Leader of the Australian Greens 
e: ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au 
m: 0409 164 603 | p: (02) 6277 3170 | f: (02) 6277 3185
w: www.bobbrown.org.au <http://www.bobbrown.org.au/>   <http://www.greens.org.au>