QLD:Motley groups back carbon price

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2011
QLD:Motley groups back carbon price

By Petrina Berry

BRISBANE, Aug 9 AAP - Prime Minister Julia Gillard's carbon price scheme has attracted
overwhelming support from a motley group of unions, environmentalists and social-service
organisations.

The grouping, known as the Southern Cross Climate Coalition, released its analysis
of the federal government's carbon and clean energy scheme in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Southern Cross - consisting of the ACTU, the Australian Conservation Foundation, the
Australian Council of Social Service and The Climate Institute - has given the scheme
the thumbs-up, saying it will generate more jobs and reduce carbon pollution.

However, the group says it will lobby the government to provide more financial assistance
to parents and unemployed people on the Newstart Allowance.

ACTU president Ged Kearney says the carbon tax won't result in massive job losses as
the federal opposition and mining companies claim.

Ms Kearney says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's cries that "jobs are going to go and
there's going to be a great big tax" are incorrect.

"It's interesting to see (Mr Abbott) suddenly become the worker's best friend, putting
a hard hat on and going into traditional blue-collar land," Ms Kearney said on Tuesday.

"The package has delivered for industries that might be (trade) exposed.

"There has been a huge bucket of money that has been put aside to invest in new industries,
new technologies and to create thousands of new jobs in Australia."

Ms Kearney said the clean energy industry is worth trillions of dollars and is a huge
worldwide enterprise.

"In Germany they have created hundreds and thousands of (renewable energy) jobs," she said.

"Even in a struggling economy like the UK's it's one of the few industries that's growing
and burgeoning."

Climate Institute CEO John Connor says the scheme is a critical step in the right direction.

The proposed $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation had the potential to grow
Queensland's solar energy sector into a major player, Mr Connor told AAP on Tuesday.

"The mandate for the new finance corporation is something that needs to be fleshed out," he said.

"We will follow this carefully to ensure the money goes towards zero or near zero (carbon
pollution) energy technologies."

AAP peb/mp

KEYWORD: CLIMATE SOUTHERN

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