WHEN GREG HUNT ATTACKS, FICTION BECOMES FACT

Media Release

Mark Butler

Shadow Minister for Environment

 Climate Change and Water

Date:  21 August 2014

Greg Hunt has told a series of lies in an extraordinary radio interview in which he also launched a vicious personal attack on the CEO of the Australian Solar Council.

The renewable energy sector is launching a campaign in Brisbane tonight to raise awareness of the dangers of Tony Abbott’s plan to abolish the Renewable Energy Target, a plan that will increase power prices for households, increase carbon pollution, slash thousands of jobs, and is already seeing Australia lose billions of dollars in investment.

Minister Hunt launched into an absurd tirade on ABC radio, calling CEO John Grimes “deceptive, misleading, inappropriate and utterly irresponsible … a total failure of an industry leader” and someone who “should be utterly ashamed of himself”.

An obviously flustered Minister Hunt also attacked the journalist, questioning her capability as a national journalist.

Why was Greg Hunt so upset? Was it because the journalist asked if he had been sidelined by the Prime Minister in his own portfolio area – left out of Cabinet decisions now taken over by Tony Abbott and his merry band of climate deniers?

Minister Hunt also claimed the Government is committed to the Renewable Energy Target (while reports have Tony Abbott attempting to abolish it altogether) and claimed the Government is working on the One Million Solar Roofs program, despite the Government defunding the program in the Midyear Economic Forecast.

"Greg Hunt has either just straight out lied to Queenslanders, or his Government has decided to reinstate its One Million Solar Roofs program, not abolish the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, not change the RET and not abolish CEFC," Shadow Environment Minister Mark Butler said.

"The Minister's reassurances mean very little when the Prime Minister removed him from the Renewable Energy Target Review process and when Tony Abbott is doing all he can to convince Australians renewable energy is a bad thing."

"The Minister's rude and aggressive attack on the interviewer and Australian Solar Council CEO John Grimes only proves his frustrations that his preferred position to retain the RET is likely to go the way of George Brandis's attempts to weaken racial discrimination laws."

"His behaviour is unbecoming of an elected representative. It's entirely inappropriate for a Minister to take out his anger with his Prime Minister on a stakeholder and journalist."

"This Government's continued in-fighting and public bashing of renewable energy is only causing more uncertainty in an industry that supports billions in investments and thousands of jobs.

“Greg Hunt waxes lyrical about his commitment to renewable energy, but it seems his climate-denying Prime Minister is not on his side.

“Tony Abbott has asked Dick Warburton to go back and look at the case for abolishing the Renewable Energy Target, and next week will seek to defund the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

“Tony Abbott is taking Australia backwards on climate change while the rest of the world is morning forward.

“Tony Abbott is leaving Australians, and his own Environment Minister, behind.”