Will Fergie’s inglorious exit herald a new era for solar power?

Martin “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson has finally switched himself off.

Well the dust has settled on the federal Labor leadership challenge that wasn’t with Julia “The Ranga” Gillard announced the winner after Kevin “The Piker” Rudd refused to show up for battle.

Actually it was less a leadership struggle than a complete shemozzle and the ructions within the Labor Party following the events will be felt for years, if not decades, to come. The immediate result is a host of ministers felt the need to resign their commissions due to their support for the The Nerdy One. You really couldn’t make this up if you tried, though the soap opera holds promise. Matthew Newton as Kevin Rudd?

However if there is one major plus to come out of the bunfight for the Australian people, it is the fact that Martin “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson was one of those who felt obliged to hand in his resignation following the spill. Whether or not old Fossil Fuel left because his (supposed) support for Rudd left his job as the Minister for Resources and Energy untenable, or whether he feared the wrath of The Ranga, the result was the same. Fergie hightailed it out of the federal capital this week faster than the latest sport drugs cheat’s footwork on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Fergie, as is true in his career’s overwhelming support for fossil fuels over renewable forms of energy such as solar power, doesn’t seem to have the nouse to back the right horse. It was no surprise then that the only weeping and gnashing of teeth over the resignation came from the resources sector.

Solar advocates may then ask if this week’s disaster is after all a good thing for renewables and solar energy in particular. This will depend on whether the Labor Party can, in its imminent demise, find a forward-thinking member in its ranks to act as Energy Minister. Hopefully this candidate will be able to give solar energy the political boost it needs to thrive in this country.

Unfortunately the cupboard’s pretty bare for Labor innovation in solar energy, made to look good only by a quick glance over to the other side of the Treasury benches. This is the home of troglodyte coal supporters who beat their chests and roar in delight over the chance to get their hands on the Gillard government’s slight achievements in renewable energy.

It’s sad isn’t it that we are limited to the dearth of talent that has been elected to Parliament. Maybe if we could change the rules and import a German minister?

Now there’s thinking outside the square.