The Tasmanian Liberal Government will continue to advocate for an outcome on the Renewable Energy Target (RET) that protects Tasmania's investments in renewable energy and protects Tasmanian jobs.
We once again call on all sides of federal politics to move quickly to provide certainty over the RET, and to recognise and reward Tasmania's generation of clean, renewable Hydro energy.
It is encouraging to see debate about a RET deal resuming in Canberra, albeit in the absence of the Labor Party after they chose to withdraw from negotiations.
The proposal floated by cross bench Senators this week recognises the important role Tasmania's hydro energy generation has to play and any deal which is reached should incorporate this type of reward for our investments in hydro energy.
The Tasmanian government believes appropriate consideration should be given to any proposal which rewards Tasmania's hydro generation.
All Tasmanian representatives know the importance of Hydro generation to our state, and the potential for this generation capacity to play a pivotal role in providing affordable renewable energy into the future.
It is very disappointing that for their own political ends both Tasmanian and Australian Labor are failing to stand up for Tasmania's interests and work cooperatively to achieve a deal on the RET which rewards Tasmania's investments.
The Liberal Government has advocated strongly for retention of the Renewable Energy Target scheme, reward for our generation of hydro energy, and a full exemption for Tasmania's trade exposed major industrials.
The Federal Labor Party must stop stonewalling RET negotiations. Perhaps Bryan Green and the Tasmanian Labor Party could help by finally ending their silence and communicate to their federal colleagues the importance of rewarding Tasmania's hydro generation and providing a full exemption for our major industrials.