Mark Arbib, the Minister responsible for coordinating the roll-out of the stimulus package, has refused to say when he first became aware of inadequate training and safety issues for workers involved in the ill-fated home insulation program. “When Mark Arbib was promoted by Kevin Rudd in February last year he was portrayed as…
DetailsJOHN BARRON: A Senate probe continues into the Rudd Government’s home insulation scheme despite its scrapping last week following the deaths of those four installers and more than 90 house fires associated with the program. The Senate committee has this morning heard a strong defence of the scheme from senior Environment Department officials who…
DetailsJOE O’BRIEN: As we’ve been hearing this morning, the Electrical Trades Union has raised concerns about home insulation installers inspecting their own work under the new Government scheme. For more, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action, Senator Simon Birmingham, joins us now from Canberra. Senator Birmingham, good morning. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning,…
DetailsEnvironment Minister Peter Garrett should direct his department to release all documents, and detail all advice, to a Senate inquiry into the Government’s now scrapped home insulation program at its appearance tomorrow, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Departmental officials will tomorrow morning appear before the Senate inquiry at a hearing in Canberra to…
DetailsEnvironment Department officials reporting to Minister Peter Garrett have the opportunity today to publicly detail all documents and advice given in relation to the Government’s disastrous home insulation program, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senior officials from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will this morning appear before the…
DetailsASHLEIGH GILLON: … joining me in the studio, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action, the Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, good morning. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, Ashleigh. ASHLEIGH GILLON: You were one of the Senators in there grilling officials from the Environment Department today… did you learn anything new from that, what…
DetailsTONY EASTLEY: While last night’s Community Cabinet meeting might have given him a break of sorts, Environment Minister Peter Garrett can expect no let up from the Federal Opposition. A Senate inquiry into the insulation scheme has decided to call Department of Environment officials to appear before it on Monday. They’ll be quizzed about…
DetailsThe Rudd Government is living in an alternate universe, spending millions of taxpayer dollars recruiting ever more staff to manage its twice defeated emissions trading scheme (ETS), Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Revelations in relation to wasteful hiring practices have been made at Senate Additional Estimates overnight under questioning from Senator Birmingham, Shadow…
DetailsA key election promise of thousands of loans for environmentally friendly home improvements has been disappearing before our very eyes, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Revelations of appallingly low take up rates have been made in Senate Additional Budget Estimates under questioning from Senator Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action. “Labor…
DetailsClaims to have achieved national management of the Murray Darling Basin have been exposed as little more than a sham under questioning in Senate Estimates, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Department officials, under questioning from Coalition Murray Darling spokesman Simon Birmingham, have confirmed overnight that the New South Wales Government retains a veto…
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