AWU wants RET exemption

THE Australian Workers Union has called for the aluminium ­industry to be exempted from the renewable energy target, a move that will increase pressure on Labor to negotiate a bipartisan deal with the Coalition on changes to the scheme. AWU national secretary Scott McDine warned that the RET maintained in its current form would lead to thousands of jobs shifting overseas with no ­environmental gain. The closure of smelters at Kurri Kurri in NSW, Point Henry in Victoria and Gove in the Northern Territory have been announced in the past two years. But….we always knew that.  Did they mention this fact to Rudd and Gillard as they beavered away at ridding Australia of its cheap power advantage at the Greens bequest. No, not a peep as I recall. The AWU don’t care about the environment, they just care about jobs.  But before we get all warm and fuzzy about unions looking after the workers, we are really talking about jobs that translate into membership fees that represent power and money for the union bosses. So with the aluminium industry in serious decline due partly to the ALP’s insane ‘save the environment’ policies that didn’t and wont save the environment, we are still stalling over what to do with the RET. Rabid dog Palmer, leader of the PUP pack has no investment in aluminium so has nor reason to  vote for reconsidering the RET policies. He’s no help. No change there. Supporters of the RET say look at the figures.  Electricity demand is down.  Yes it is, but might I suggest that part of the reason for decrease is that people are getting stunned by their power bills and are switching off heating and bar fridges and stumbling around in the dark as they minimize lights. The closure of three aluminium smelting plants has or will impact on that demand as well. Mind you, aluminium smelting isn’t the only industry suffering from the ALP/Greens policies.  All industry is as we chip away at that useful cheap power advantage. Insane. UPDATE:  Read Alan Moran’s piece at Catalaxy Files where he asks should we phase down or abolish?