Thumbs up for Solar? Or not?
Well the big solar news this week was provided by a Big Man. Big Clive to be precise. Yes finally the message of sustainability, affordability and keeping the environment for future generations was played out through the mainstream media. More precisely through Big Clive Palmer’s endorsement of his W.A. Senate PUP candidate’s ringing praise for the 20 percent renewable energy target.
Splattered all over the front pages and on our national broadcaster was the man famous for bloody big holes in the ground, Titanics, grandiose press conferences, collecting mining leases and pouring billions into the formation of his very own lobby group…er political party.
Great news then that the Man who, with other political parties, will hold the balance of power after July, supports the 20 percent renewable energy target eh readers? More than that but he also considers the current Abbott government review of the RET by a bunch of climate sceptics an expensive waste of time.
Excited? You betcha (in the words of a famous U.S. stand up comic and part time vice-presidential candidate).
Perhaps. And there’s definitely a perhaps not.
You see The Big Man’s a clever politician/lobbyist who plays political hardball better than Vlad “The Poo” Putin. His sudden conversion on the Road to Damascus (near Perth?) may be influenced by the fact that his Palmer United Party is fighting a rearguard political action against the Greens and others in the re-run of the WA Senate election to be held on April 5.
As our regular social media contributor Colin Spencer pointed out: With the other minor parties preferencing against PUP, perhaps the move is a calculated effort to appear green, or at least greenish, to entice wavering Green voters away from the fold?
Then again this may be a touch unfair to Clive. Perhaps the Man With the Bloody Big Holes in the Ground may suddenly have warmed (sorry) to the idea of a 20 percent renewable energy target and genuinely considers the current review (stacked with climate change sceptics) by the Abbott government a terrible waste.
In which case expect to see The Big Fella on the ABC’s 7.30 Report in a tie-died t-shirt, flared and ripped jeans, sandals and guitar singing “Give PUP a Chance”.
It is wise to point out here that both the Australian Solar Council and Australian Conservation Foundation have delivered negative assessments of PUP on renewable energy. The agencies cite massive “contradictions” at the heart of the Palmer United Party with regard to renewable energy and will be advising WA voters in a scorecard to be mailed out to voters before the election.
And with that mental image and series of contradictIons to finish, I call on your comments readers, either on Big Clive’s shenanigans, the 20 percent renewable energy target, the Abbott government’s stacked review or just an general opinion. Make your voice felt either here or over at our Facebook or Google Plus Pages. Don’t forget our new Pinterest social media excursion either!
RSS - Posts
I don’t trust Clive Palmer!
Remember the Wacky Wabbott knifed Pauline Hanson because he doesn’t believe Australians have the right to freedom of speech. Thats the lowest to which any politician has ever stooped, furthermore it provides all the proof needed that the LNP can’t be trusted. The ALP have proven on countless occasions they couldn’t handle the accounting in respect of a chook raffle, consequently that tribe isn’t trustworthy either..Neither major party can be trusted with parliamentary renumeration, both supporting the so called independent’ tribunal which is anything but. Neither major party has done anything to smash that utterly despicable Rupert Murdoch who manipulates our political circus despite not even being an Australian citizen,.. hardly indicative of a ‘trustworthy’ system. Exactly how much does Cheryl rely on News Limited for ‘news’ ????
The big fella might be willing to support the Renewable Energy Target (sort of/maybe/kinda) but he still loves his coal and money. If all of his and his fellow travelers get to have their coal burnt it doesn’t really matter how many renewable energy projects the RET supports in Australia – the jig is up for us all.
The reason for the RET is to help REPLACE coal etc not supplement it.
The big fella has big ambitions but his ideas are small, shameful and self serving.
Unfortunately Clive is tainted with the same brush as a Snake Oil Salesman and anything he says must be treated with the utmost caution as his spin and his deeds are often diametrically opposed to each other.
The takeaway message must be that the Australian Solar Council and the Australian Conservation Foundation have been bought off by big business..Interestingly both the aforementioned organizations are largely funded by government (read LNP), consequently they would be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them. Blind Freddie can see that the LNP & derivatives thereof are sworn enemies of renewable energy in any form. Given the carbon tax debacle which was never anything more than a blatant revenue-raising exercise, its doubtful that the ALP / Greens are any more enlightened. Note also that neither major party has done anything of consequence to rein-in CSG exploration. Where pray tell have the ostensibly ‘environmentally conscious’ Greens been while the CSG vandals have been merrily polluting everything in their path ?? (apart that is from encouraging queer marriage & islamic invasion). A thought some might care to ponder. During the latest federal election, it was obvious that Rupert Murdoch was hell-bent on manipulating Australian politics to further his own avaricious ambitions. At the time the ALP screamed blue murder & swore to raise the roof immediately parliament resumed. Why has that never happened ?? ..
Great comments thanks folks. Just a quick reminder that the Solar Council and ACF both give PUP a negative assessment in relation to renewables. It will be interesting to see how the WA Senate re-run pans out. Things must be getting a bit desperate at PUP HQ after their disappointment in the Tassie and SA elections!
So what alternative do you propose ?? The Wacky Wabbott who doesn’t believe in freedom of speech, who thinks alternative energy is too far off left field to even contemplate and who counts Rupert Murdoch in his circle of friends, or the oft proven lamebrained ALP / Greens.who severely tax their accounting skills adding up the coins in their piggy-banks. Remember ex treasurer Wayne Swan failed dismally with his pitiful excuses for a federal budget not once but six times !!!! I’m not aware of one currently serving LNP or ALP politician who has ever run a real word business, the vast majority being failed lawyers (with all the negative connotations attached to those parasites) or ex union heavies. If the Australian Solar Council and the Australian Conservation Foundation had the decency to refuse LNP, or indeed any political funding, the organizations might just have a claim on credibility however they have lost any chance of that by siding with the government of the day.
Excellent assessment Yes Minister. What are your thoughts for federal renewable energy post WA election now?
Probably a bit early to tell. The incoming senate doesn’t take office until July & thereafter the Wacky Wabbott will encounter considerable difficulty getting any half-thought legislation through. Its obvious he’d dearly love to drop anything connected with renewable energy but unless he manages to sneak something through very quickly, he’ll have a snowflakes chance in hell from July. Big Clive has a few interesting (and probably quite workable) propositions to bring industry back to OZ, something the ALP / LNP don’t have a clue about. Given our relatively high labour cost, a lot of industries are unviable but the figures I’ve seen on nickel processing look interesting. Its not a massive step from nickel to other specialized mineral processing & maybe even high tech manufacturing. Again, what chance is there of the ALP / LNP encouraging local industries … they have both proved countless times that they want all Australians broke & any residual industry using cheap 457 visa imports.