No rebate for solar panels for now: Wong

There will be no rebate for solar panels for some months, Climate Change Minister
Penny Wong has confirmed, after a scheme to massively boost renewable energy was put
on hold.
The green energy sector has warned that hundreds of workers could get the sack
because of the delay.
The Senate has put off a vote on the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme until
August at the earliest.
It's a problem for the government, which is struggling to get its climate change
agenda up.
The two major climate policies - the RET and Emissions Trading Scheme (EST) - are
both likely to be held up in the Senate.
And it's a problem for households who want to go solar.
The government last week axed its $8,000 rebate for solar panels. A new, smaller
rebate will not start until the RET laws have passed parliament.
The government had planned for that to happen next week, but the coalition, Family
First senator Steve Fielding and independent Nick Xenophon scotched that plan in the
Senate.
Matthew Warren, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, warned that hundreds of
workers could be immediately laid off as a result.
"Clean energy companies around Australia will now put hiring plans on hold and in
some cases be forced to start shedding staff," he said.
Mr Warren said the RET laws should have been passed a year ago.
The government promised the RET - 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources by
2020 - before the last election.
But the laws were only tabled in parliament on Wednesday.
And the government has linked the RET to the already embattled ETS.
Adding to the controversy is the fact that the government changed the solar rebate
twice in a year before axing it, only to replace it with a third rebate.
Senator Wong attacked the coalition for delaying action on global warming. She
defended the decision to end the old rebate.
"It was the fiscally responsible thing to do," Senator Wong said.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said it was the government's fault the
RET laws were not ready.
"This legislation is a year late," he said.
The vote has been delayed so a Senate committee can hold an inquiry into the laws by
August 12. Mr Hunt said scrutiny was needed.
Greens climate change spokeswoman Christine Milne said there was no excuse for
another delay in the RET.
Compounding the climate headache for the government is the prospect of a lengthy
debate on emissions trading next week.
There is speculation the coalition will stretch out the debate late into the night
to avoid a vote.
Parliament breaks for winter at the end of next week.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said filibustering on the debate was not leadership, it
was opportunism.
"Not having the courage to vote for climate change is one thing, not having the
courage to allow any vote on climate change, that's something else."