Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens' Leader
It was a childish performance from Tasmania’s Energy Minister, and a weak performance from the Premier, in Parliament today, when questioned about the Federal Government’s decision to walk away from the Clean Energy Target and back in dirty coal fired power.
Neither the Premier nor the Energy Minister could give a straight answer about the impact on Tasmania as a result of the Prime Minister's decision to abandon renewables.
If you remove renewable energy certificates from the equation and don’t have a Clean Energy Target in place after 2020, it provides significant disincentives to investors in renewables and that will impact on Tasmania which needs more diversity in its renewables mix.
Three other Premiers have stood up for their State, and called this out for what it is – an attack on renewables, and Canberra backing in the coal industry.
This is climate damaging policy coming from Prime Minister Turnbull and his backwards Party Room, yet Premier Hodgman couldn’t bring himself to criticize their decision and stand up for Tasmania.
This is Tasmania’s future as a clean energy exporter the Liberals are gambling with in their silence. So much for ‘Tasmanians first’.