The Australian Greens Party has revealed it will move to force a vote over the repeal of the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) in the upper house Senate this week, effectively setting up a double dissolution election trigger for Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government.
Australian Greens leader Senator Christine Milne today declared the Prime Minister Tony Abbott was “last century’s man” and said she would reject his “effort to destroy renewable energy investment” by forcing a vote on the repeal of the CEFC.
“Tony Abbott is a climate denying last century man,” Senator Milne said on ABC TV’s Insiders program.
“That’s why I’ll be moving in the Senate this week to bring on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Bill and have it absolutely put to the vote so we reject Tony Abbott’s effort to destroy renewable energy investment in Australia.
“That will set up a double dissolution trigger and make it clear to Australia the Australian Greens will stand firm for a clean energy future as opposed to the Prime Minister’s last century coal, global-warming, destroying future he wants.”
The Australian Greens will hold the balance of power in the upper house for just two more weeks until a new Senate, with a greater number of independent or Palmer United Party members, is introduced on July 1.
The CEFC bill was last put before the parliament and rejected in December.
If it is rejected a second time this week, a double dissolution election, in which the whole of the Senate and the House of Representatives is contested, can be triggered.
“The Australian Greens are ready for an election over the Prime Minister’s global warming denial and his brutal budget,” Senator Milne said.
“If the Prime Minister refuses to follow through on his threats for a new election the unpopularity of his brutal budget and global warming policy sham will be fully exposed once and for all.
“We expect either a new election if the PM has the ticker for it, or, a completely lame government, shackled by a Prime Minister incapable of dealing with the hand he has been dealt with in the Senate.”
“As the Prime Minister’s agenda grinds to a halt in the Senate, the Greens will refocus efforts on grassroots campaigning on the threat of global warming and against the cruelty of Abbott’s agenda as we prepare for an early election,” Senator Milne added.
The CEFC was set up by the former Labor government as part of Australia’s clean energy laws to help finance clean energy projects.
Its abolition legislation is the first of 11 bills, which also abolish the current carbon price, as promised by the coalition at last year’s federal election.
Labor has previously criticised the abolition of the CEFC, and the corporation has said it is returning about $200 million a year to the government’s budget.
In December, Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann said abolition of the corporation was a priority for the government.
One Response
Here we go again, do the Greens actually get the picture? 2 more weeks and they really are not that important anymore ( they never really were anyway) The people of Australia voted but the arrogance of the Greens is to show no respect to the will of the voting people. Democracy is almost non existent these days.
Westminster system, OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, not the wishes of self serving ignorant bigots with their minority ideas!
Let’s have another election and put the Greens in the same place as the Democrats, out of existence.