Greens candidate, Malcolm McKelvie says Labor has dropped the ball on climate change. Labor's budget is rewarding the carbon polluters and wiping out the solar industry.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd must reverse the budget gaffe which has devastated solar power businesses around Australia. A Yarragon based solar power supplier servicing the whole state estimates their business will suffer an 80% decline in grid interactive system installations. The effect is drastic and contrary to the stated policy of the government.

"This is a stunning solar stuff up for Labor's first budget. Australian voters expected the Rudd government to tackle climate change. Instead, this was an Exocet missile into a key industry for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The removal of the rebate for households earning more than $100,000 per annum was not thought through.

If either Peter Garrett or Penny Wong were consulted or backed this absurd move, they should hang their heads in shame. Their silence has been deafening”, Malcolm McKelvie said.

This episode, along with a string of other greenhouse worsening budget outcomes, shows the Rudd government is inept when it comes to tackling the need for urgent action on climate change.

However, Brendan Nelson's two billion dollar plan to reduce petrol excise by 5 cents a litre is in the same category; perverse policy in an age of huge climate change problems.

“Only the Greens are free of influence from the fossil fuel and nuclear industry lobbyists. We can see the clean way forward”.

For further information please contact:Malcolm McKelvie 0417 364 615

Greens Candidate for Gippsland By – Election

www.cgn.org.au/Malcolm_McKelvie gippsland@greens.org.au