A rare alliance of the opposition and the Greens will push for the reversal of the government’s decision to immediately cut off the solar hot water rebate scheme.
The opposition has a private member’s bill to be introduced in the next sitting, to require the government to commit to remaining funds allocated to the scheme this financial year. Greens leader Bob Brown yesterday said: ”We have the numbers in the Parliament to help ensure this scheme goes ahead.”
So far, the Greens have not signed up to the opposition bill, with a spokesman saying: ”We have yet to see the bill, but we are sympathetic.” For a private member’s bill to pass it would have to get support from most of the crossbenchers in the House - four out of six to pass the bill, and five if standing orders had to be suspended to get it dealt with.
As a private member’s bill, it can only apply until June 30, the time for which funds have been already approved.
The government announced that new applicants had to have paid a deposit on a hot water service by February 28. Senator Brown told the Ten Network the government had made a mistake, but it was ”easily remedied”.
