Greens name their price to give Labor power
The Greens are set to reveal their vision for Queensland industry, and it is likely to become reality if Labor needs their support after the state election.
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A renewables manufacturing industry funded from the public purse shapes as a key Greens demand if the party holds the balance of power in Queensland after the state election.
Greens MP Michael Berkman will today unveil his party’s manifesto for manufacturing, which includes taxpayer-owned solar and wind turbine factories in regional Queensland.
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Large-scale renewables projects would eventually be forced to source 60 per cent of their products from the state-owned manufacturers while a “green steel” factory would be built in Gladstone.
The Greens insist their blueprint would create almost 20,000 jobs a year and revive manufacturing in Queensland after the policies of successive governments had scuppered the local sector.
“Queensland has some of the best conditions for solar and wind generation in the world, so it’s crazy we aren’t manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels right here,” Mr Berkman said.
“Every time you hear about a new renewable energy project, or put solar panels on your roof, I’m sure every Queenslander would prefer those solar panels or wind turbines were manufactured in Queensland creating good Queensland jobs.”
Polling has indicated Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s slim majority may be threatened at the October 31 election.
A loss of just two seats would force Labor to negotiate an alliance with the Greens, Independents or Katter’s Australian Party.
The Greens are talking up their prospects in seven Brisbane seats after swings to the party at the council election, with the electorates of South Brisbane and McConnel key targets.
Mr Berkman said the COVID-19 crisis had exposed how the globalisation policies of Labor and the LNP had left Australia without a manufacturing sector.
“Queensland can manufacture the steel, solar panels and wind turbines that power not just Queensland and Australia, but the world,” he said.
Along with the Gladstone steel venture powered by renewables, a publicly owned solar panel factory would be established in Townsville and a wind turbine builder set up in Rockhampton.
An authority with $1 billion in seed funding would be established to provide cheap loans to help prospective manufacturers get off the ground.