A Liberal backbencher is lobbying the government to stop its push to, in effect, ban the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from investing in wind and small-scale solar energy.
The Victorian Liberal MP, Sarah Henderson, has written to the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, asking that the government include wind and small-scale solar energy in its investment mandate.
Henderson stopped short of criticising the government’s proposal to stop the CEFC investing in wind and small-scale solar as part of a focus on emerging technologies, saying she wanted its draft mandate broadened.
“The focus on the CEFC investing in innovation and emerging technologies is the right one,” she said.
“However, a broadening of the draft investment mandate as proposed by the government to include emerging technologies in wind and small-scale solar (such as battery storage technology) is both consistent with the CEFC’s investment objectives and will help to produce an even greater dividend for Australian industry and jobs.”
Henderson made a point of criticising Labor’s carbon tax while praising the government’s own policy on climate change.
“The federal government is currently providing very significant support for the wind and small-scale solar renewable energy industries,” she said.
“Over the next five years, the Renewable Energy Target (RET) is expected to drive between $5.6bn and $8.7bn of investment in the renewable energy sector.”
Henderson said tackling climate change was vital and a broader CEFC investment mandate would be a positive step forward.
“The measures used to drive down carbon dioxide emissions must be fair and equitable and not cost thousands of jobs,” she said.
Her letter, dated 23 July, said the people of Henderson’s electorate, Corangamite were “extremely supportive” of renewable energy.
The CEFC sought legal advice on the government’s proposed mandate and will be providing a response in the next few weeks.
Tony Abbott avoided speaking directly on Henderson’s request, instead attacking the Labor party for increasing the renewable energy target to 50%.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to give certainty to the renewable sector,” he said on Monday.
“Renewables do have an important part to play in our power system but frankly at 23% that’s more than enough,” Abbott said.
“One of the truly bizarre decisions coming out of the Labor conference on the weekend was this move to increase the proportion of renewables in our system to some 50%, now this constitutes a massive, absolute massive hit on consumers and on jobs because to move to 50% renewables by 2030 will mean a massive bill, perhaps $60bn or more that will have to be carried by consumers of Australia.”
