Coulton’s Catch-up 1st March
01-March-2010
The desperate extent to which the Rudd Government are prepared to go to in order to mask their failures was highlighted this week in Water Minister’s Penny Wong extraordinary claim that despite widespread reports of inefficiencies, job losses and broken promises, the Rudd Government’s water buybacks scheme is going well.
As early as April 2008 I warned the Government that its water-buyback policy would fail. From the outset it was instantly apparent that there was a significant imbalance between purchasing water entitlements and crucial investment in water infrastructure. It was an ill-conceived and short-sighted scheme that threatened to sacrifice regional jobs and jeopardise Australia’s food security in order to boost the government’s green credentials.
Now the Victorian Farmers Federation has revealed just how devastating the scheme has become. According to their research, Senator Wong’s buybacks have resulted in the loss of 5600 jobs in Victoria alone. It is estimated that by the time Senator Wong has finished spending the full $3.1 billion it has allocated to purchasing water entitlements, she will have been responsible for the loss of nearly 13,700 jobs in irrigated agriculture – many of which will be in NSW and many of which will be in the Parkes electorate.
One example of the effect this policy is having locally came in the Moree and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s estimation that at least several hundred direct and indirect jobs will be ripped from the Moree region as a result of the water buybacks being undertaken in the Gwydir Valley.
Have we seen any contrition from Senator Wong about the jobs that have been lost under her watch, or even an assurance that the government will reassess its failed water buyback policy and potentially save thousands of jobs? No, all we have seen is a smiling Senator Wong telling us that the program has been an incredible success.
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The Government has launched a new hotline for householders with concerns about insulation installed under the failed Home Insulation Program.
Householders concerned about the safety of insulation installed under the program are being urged to call the new safety line on 131792. It is essential that people call the hotline as soon as they can to ensure their homes are safe.
This hotline has been expanded from foil installation inquiries to handle calls involving all insulation installed under Peter Garrett’s program after it was revealed that there are as many as 240,000 homes across Australia that have had potentially dodgy installations.
The Rudd Government has given an assurance that urgent cases will be acted on immediately. Householders with non-urgent cases will have their contact details taken for follow-up including a full risk-based assessment.