Fiona O'Malley (Progressive Democrats)

I look forward to seeing the positive effects this initiative will have. We need to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the area of green energy because that type of thinking will help us through the economic difficulties we face.

Other countries, notably America, are taking similar initiatives to this scheme. Thankfully the new US administration has made a stronger commitment to environmental concerns such as climate change and reducing carbon emissions. These initiatives are similar the world over and are exactly what we need to pursue. I hope they will be extended. I met earlier members of the Construction Industry Federation who told me many people who worked in the construction industry are unemployed. We need to think about these people. There was an array of protests today by people in secure employment who are concerned about their jobs and the contribution they are being asked to make. We need to look a little beyond this and ask ourselves what contribution we want to make to assist those who have lost their jobs. Many in the construction industry have lost their jobs at this point. This initiative offers them hope and opportunity to return to the workforce, which is a commendable effort on the part of Government. I welcome the initiative and wish the Government good luck with it. I hope it is a resounding success.