Solar households could knock out Libs in Canning by-election

Half the households in Western Australia’s Canning electorate have solar, and the Australian Solar Council wants them to send the Abbott Government a strong message in the upcoming by-election regarding a continued attack on renewables.

“Tony Abbott’s reputation as the most radical, anti-solar Prime Minister in Australia’s history will not go down well with Canning voters,” Australian Solar Council chief executive John Grimes said.

“Half of Canning voters have solar, the other half want to slash their power bills with solar and Tony Abbott continues to attack all these voters.”

Since winning government, Mr Grimes said the Coalition had broken its pre-election promise of a million additional solar roofs by 2020, broke an election promise not to cut the 41,000 gigawatt hour Renewable Energy Target, and tried to abolish the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. It also recently instructed the CEFC not to invest in small-scale solar.

“Tony Abbott’s recent comment that Australia has ‘more than enough’ renewable energy stands in stark contrast with Labor’s commitment to at least 50 per cent renewables by 2030 and the Greens’ pledge for even stronger renewables targets. A recent Essential Poll showed 65 per cent support for 50 per cent renewables by 2030,” Mr Grimes said.

The Australian Solar Council is urging voters to put the Liberal Party last, with a campaign slogan of “Vote to Save Money, Vote to Save Solar”.

The council said it would support any political party that supported good solar policy.

Special forces soldier Andrew Hastie is expected to contest the seat of Canning for the Liberal Party, which was previously held by the Liberal Party’s Don Randall, who passed away last month. The by-election will be held 19 September.