C'mon Clive!
On Tuesday, the Palmer United Party's lead candidate for the WA Senate election, Dio Wang, came out in support of the renewable energy target saying it was "the right scheme for maintaining and improving Australia's environment".
Soon after, party leader, Clive Palmer, declared his support for the RET as well. GetUp took this opportunity to commend the Party for taking a positive stance on renewables and push for a formal commitment to the RET.
However, it would seem he failed to mention the fine print when he called himself a "supporter of renewable energy" and the RET. Less than 24 hours later, Mr Palmer was on radio Radio National clarifying his comments by saying he didn't think the RET should be mandatory.
Well, we're afraid you can't have it both ways Mr Palmer. As explained by Lenore Taylor today in the Guardian:
"The whole point of the RET is that it is mandatory. It requires electricity retailers to buy a certain number of renewable energy certificates each year. If they are not required to buy them, they won't buy them and there won't be a RET at all."
So which is it Mr Palmer – are you for the RET or not?
If Clive Palmer and the Palmer United Party are serious about supporting renewables, they need to prove it by making the Renewable Energy Target part of their policy platform.
Can you send a quick email asking Mr Palmer and the Palmer United Party candidates to commit to the RET once and for all?
Soon after, party leader, Clive Palmer, declared his support for the RET as well. GetUp took this opportunity to commend the Party for taking a positive stance on renewables and push for a formal commitment to the RET.
However, it would seem he failed to mention the fine print when he called himself a "supporter of renewable energy" and the RET. Less than 24 hours later, Mr Palmer was on radio Radio National clarifying his comments by saying he didn't think the RET should be mandatory.
Well, we're afraid you can't have it both ways Mr Palmer. As explained by Lenore Taylor today in the Guardian:
"The whole point of the RET is that it is mandatory. It requires electricity retailers to buy a certain number of renewable energy certificates each year. If they are not required to buy them, they won't buy them and there won't be a RET at all."
So which is it Mr Palmer – are you for the RET or not?
If Clive Palmer and the Palmer United Party are serious about supporting renewables, they need to prove it by making the Renewable Energy Target part of their policy platform.
Can you send a quick email asking Mr Palmer and the Palmer United Party candidates to commit to the RET once and for all?
FAQs
When a policy announcement is met with positive community feedback, politicians are more likely to hold true to it. Congratulating Mr Palmer on his support for the RET was an important show of community support designed to encourage him to make it a formal party position of the PUP.
A commitment now would mean that in the future, GetUp members and constituents would have more licence to ask that the Party to do more in support of renewable energy – including calling for consistency in party policies and Mr Palmer's business practices.
A commitment now would mean that in the future, GetUp members and constituents would have more licence to ask that the Party to do more in support of renewable energy – including calling for consistency in party policies and Mr Palmer's business practices.
GetUp has always focused on influencing policy. Commending the Palmer United Party's stance on renewables (or any party for that matter) certainly doesn't stand in the way of our criticism of parties when they back policies that risk our environment in other ways. We'll continue to commend great policy and critique damaging ones, regardless of who stands behind them.
Right now, we're producing scorecards for the WA by-election which will highlight all the parties' stances on a variety of issues - including this one. Every party will be commended or critiqued for their positions. In the lead-up to the election, we'll be amplifying more of those congratulations and criticisms for other parties, just as we've done in the past and will continue to do.
Sources
Clive Palmer speaks out in support of renewable energy, The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 March 2014Palmer's support for renewables target lasts just a day, Renew Economy, 24 March 2014
Clive Palmer wants the last laugh, but WA voters won't be taken for fools, The Guardian Australia, 20 March 2014
Call on the PUP to commit!
Let's encourage the Palmer United Party to stand strong on renewable energy and commit to the RET once and for all!Emails will be sent to Clive Palmer MP, Senator Lambie, Senator Lazurus and the WA Senate by-election candidates.