By Luke Williams

LJW Solar

It’s amazing that a government whose pre-election environmental position was considered so strong has now crushed the grid connected solar power industry.

Rudd may not be as smart as he looks after all. However, you would think that the Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, of all people, would want to promote environmental policy, not kill it.

You know, after twenty-five years of hard work, nursing this infant industry, it seems I have found that this is a government that is willing to take candy from a baby.

I feel, in some ways, defeated. The excitement in the growth of the solar power industry, seen in the last year, was the tip of the ice-berg of a country wide movement on renewable power, spurred on by people’s awareness of their environment and a government that cared about what their voters cared about.

The introduction of the $100,000 means tested rebate for installing solar power to your home, has removed the ability of the majority of Australians to take steps towards sustainability. As you well know, $100,000 is about the minimum earning for any household, in this country, who want to live and pay debt. Don’t get me started on the ever increasing prices of everything else due to the cost of other types of energy; such as fuel and electricity from the grid. We have seen customers who want to do their bit, forced to remove their orders, as the price is just too dear, and the incentives too small.

This government is shrewd enough to have executed their execution of the industry on the very night of its announcement; making anyone’s last-ditch efforts to put forward a claim for a rebate, impossible.

I am not completely sure of the government’s reasons, but I can’t help thinking, that it might have something to do with the problem of taxing the sun.