Senate debates
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Notices
Presentation
Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes:
- (i)
- that United States of America company, First Solar, has signed a memorandum of understanding to build a 2GW solar power station in China and that this single plant will be eight times larger than projects called for by the Solar Flagship Program (the program),
- (ii)
- that the program depends for success on significant levels of private sector capital,
- (iii)
- that the global financial crisis is exacerbating difficulties Australian companies are experiencing in accessing private sector capital for innovative renewable technologies,
- (iv)
- that, in Australia, Solar Systems has gone into voluntary administration because of a lack of investment capital, and
- (v)
- the lack of a comprehensive or coherent policy framework to encourage private sector investment in renewable energy; and
- (b)
- calls on the Government to underpin the success of the program by:
- (i)
- providing loan guarantees for commercial-scale demonstration projects,
- (ii)
- implementing a gross national feed-in tariff for small to utility scale renewable energy projects, and
- (iii)
- planning and funding electricity grid extensions to connect remote utility scale projects.
Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate calls on the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr O’Connor), the Minister for Defence (Senator Faulkner) and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Evans) to conduct a review of the current protocols for the interception of Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels in Australian waters and report back to the Senate by 26 November 2009.