Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Minister for Energy

Tuesday 6th July 2010

Greens Making Excuses on Energy Select Committee

If the Tasmanian Greens truly believe in accountability and transparency in government, they will support our motion to establish a select committee into Tasmania's energy businesses.

The select committee will get to the bottom of Aurora's financial position quickly and efficiently and would be in a position to report to Parliament within months.

The Greens are trying to appease their Labor bed-fellows by stalling, claiming that the Expert Panel is the best option. Yet as we saw in Parliament today, Kim Booth may have been sold a pup, with Bryan Green refusing to say whether or not the Expert Panel will have all the powers of a Royal Commission, as Kim Booth said it would.

If the Greens vote against our motion and confirm their adherence to the Labor Party line, then there is no doubt that Bryan Green and David Bartlett will start to water down the Panel's powers and make sure that it only finds what the Labor Party wants it to find.

The Tasmanian Liberals have contacted both Mr McKim and Mr Booth offering them a briefing on our motion. I sincerely hope they take us up on the opportunity.