Stan Beer
Friday, 06 June 2008 13:28
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
No prizes for guessing that it was the families of
concerned citizens in the $100,000 plus income bracket, who had some
disposable income to invest in going green with solar.
Now just in case some readers want to accuse me
of simply launching into an anti-Rudd-Government tirade, they should
consider what the local solar power industry has to say. These are
predominantly small businesses who should be riding the crest of a wave
with environmental and fossil fuel concerns at an all time high.
Instead, in the wake of this ridiculous decision, the very survival of
many are now under threat.
Consider this
report from NSW regional newspaper Central Western Daily.
A local government councillor, speaking on behalf of his small business
constituents, described the new system as being “almost calculated to
undermine the renewable energy industry”.
"A household of two people earning the average yearly income will not
be able to apply for the rebate. The problem with that, of course, it’s
those type of families earning over a hundred grand a year that the
solar industry relies on,” Orange City councillor, Jeremy Buckingham
said.
Instead of encouraging millions of Australian homes to invest in solar
panels and even lithium ion batteries to store that energy, which could
be used at night and also sold back into the grid, actually generating
an income for householders, as happens overseas, Kevin Rudd has ensured
the solar industry will come crashing down with a tremendous thud.
So, is Kevin Rudd really an environmental wolf in sheep’s clothing? Or
is there hope that Kevin Rudd really is the green Prime Minister he
claims to be? Please read on to page 3.
