The Gillard Government was already dealing with 200 claims for compensation over its Green Loans Program prior to this week announcing its replacement program would not proceed, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today.
The figure has been revealed in an answer to a question taken on notice by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency through the Senate’s Supplementary Budget Estimates:
As at 12 November 2010, approximately 200 claims for compensation have been received. These have yet to be resolved and are being managed in accordance with the Commonwealth’s usual processes.
“The Government is already spending hundreds of millions on cleaning up its insulation mess and has committed millions more to try to buy peace with those who have lost out from its Green Loans debacle,” Senator Birmingham said today.
In this week scrapping Green Start before it had even started, the Government put $30 million of that program’s funding towards assistance for assessors including those who were never contracted under the Green Loans Program.
“Now we learn there are already at least 200 claims for compensation in the pipeline.
“Taxpayers continue to meet the cost of this incompetent Government’s reverse Midas touch, which has seen damage done wherever Labor has intervened.
“Even taxpayer dollars might never compensate the damage done to goodwill towards Government-led environmental programs.
“From banks to assessors to householders all wanting to do their bit to help, there have ended up being no winners, only losers, especially the taxpayer.”