Momentum is definitely in Abbott’s favour. The prospect of the Environment Minister resigning over 4 deaths as a result of the government’s speedy attempts to ramp up the home insulation programme, and the Communications Minister Conroy for appointing his mate to head the National Broadband Network may be enough to close the 2pp gap in the polls over the next two months. We’ll see.
Opposition environment minister Greg Hunt told parliament this afternoon: “This minister deserves to go.”
Unions have also savaged the Rudd government’s program today, arguing the deaths of young workers installing home insulation were unacceptable and the program should be halted until it can be demonstrated much tighter safety and training standards are in place…
Mr Garrett conceded today that ss early as February last year officials at an industry consultation meeting heard a proposal for mandatory training for all installers, with a concern that specialist skills would be needed for some tradespeople who would not necessarily have insulation experience.
I doubt either Minister will resign or that Rudd will ask them to. Union mates are good at protecting each other – Ministerial standards just don’t come into it. Now the main reason Rudd is still backing Garrett is because Rudd, in his desire to look like doing something, probably encouraged Garrett to get on with the insulation project with only a cursory concern for the safety risks.
PETER Garrett was warned 13 times of fire and safety risks linked to the $3 billion roof insulation scheme, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said.
Even the bad boys of the CFMEU have come out against Garrett.
“Peter Garrett received warnings from industry groups. He received warnings from state governments, including Labor state governments,” Mr Hockey said.
“It now emerges that he got warnings from the unions. He even got warnings from his own department, and at the end of it four people are dead.”
“It is time for Peter Garrett to go.
“There were 13 smoking guns and there have been four deaths. I don’t know what criteria Kevin Rudd is using to assess the good performance of a minister.”
UPDATE
Would the Minister be happy to have Chinese made insulation laced with formaldehyde in his own home?
On December 18, the Polyester Insulation Manufacturers Association lodged a submission with the Government specifically warning about formaldehyde.
The six-page letter said: “There has been a flood of materials imported to Australia which both do not meet Australian standards for performance materials, and represent a significant respiratory health risk to both installers and householders due to excessive levels of formaldehyde, which is also a known carcinogen.
All paid for by tax-payers of course. Apparently the Minister decided not to do anything about the issue.