Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I also draw his attention to the range of measures that I outlined earlier in my response to the member for Fadden, because they go directly to the question of the detail of the government’s insulation worker adjustment package. In response to the honourable member’s question I would add two points. That is that the employment generated from this scheme would not have existed if the original policies recommended by those opposite were adhered to by the House; there would have been no such program. Secondly, I also note from the comments of the shadow Treasurer that he provides no such guarantee for the continuation of this program in the future. So, therefore, I say to the honourable member, if he is being fair dinkum about the employment impacts, to consider carefully the implications of the statement made by the shadow Treasurer today, which refused to provide any support for the continuation of this program through the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme in the future. That is the core element of each and every one of the industry representatives’ concerns as reflected to me in my discussions with them earlier today.

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