The Australian Solar Council has launched a new campaign urging voters to stand up for solar and put the Liberal Party last in the up-coming by-election for the Perth seat of Canning.
According to council analysis, 50 per cent of homes in the Liberal-held marginal seat of Canning have either solar PV or solar hot water on their roofs.
As ASC chief John Grimes put it in a statement on Monday, “Half of Canning voters have solar, the other half want to slash their power bills with solar and Tony Abbott continues to attack all these voters.”
The ASC’s broader plan, however, is to ignite a nation-wide debate on renewable energy, increasing the pressure on an increasingly unpopular, coal-loving Prime Minister.
“Tony Abbott’s reputation as the most radical, anti-solar Prime Minister in Australia’s history will not go down well with Canning voters,” said Grimes.
The new push by the ASC comes at a bad time for Abbott, with the latest polls predicting the Coalition is facing a 36-seat wipeout in the next federal election.
Another poll, the recent Essential Poll reported on here, showed 65 per cent support for a bipartisan policy target 50 per cent renewables by 2030, and indicated a lack of adequate policy support for renewables, in general, could be a vote-changer.
“Tony Abbott’s recent comment that Australia has ‘more than enough’ renewable energy stands in stark contrast with Labor’s commitment to at least 50 per cent renewables by 2030 and the Greens’ pledge for even stronger renewables targets,” Grimes said.
“If we can’t change the Government’s policy, then we need to change the leader,” Grimes said. “This is a golden opportunity to give Tony Abbott the kick that he deserves. He is leading the Liberal Party and Australia in the wrong direction. He needs to embrace good solar policy.
“Our objective is to encourage the Liberal Party to change its leader, to encourage them to promote a leader who has a positive vision for renewables and solar and if that’s the outcome, it’s job done.”
© 2015 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
