The video Mr Abbott needs to see GET-UP

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The video Mr Abbott needs to see

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Paul – GetUp!

6:41 PM (4 minutes ago)

to me

NEVILLE,

If you ask Charlie Prell, a farmer from the NSW town of Goulburn, what the government could do to support farmers, he’d say it’d be keeping a solid, stable Renewable Energy Target.

Charlie’s neighbour Kim agrees. As a small-business owner down the road, she’s watched the local economy boom as a result of the renewable energy industry. John, from the nearby earthmoving company, has hired an extra 40 locals since the introduction of solar and wind projects into the community. Even the Mayor of Goulburn, a staunch conservative, believes that renewables are the future for the area.

But the continued prosperity of townships like Goulburn is now at risk. With two weeks left of Parliament, it’s likely Tony Abbott will attempt to push through cuts to the Renewable Energy Target (RET). If he succeeds, it’ll be devastating for our clean energy industry and regional Australia.

Charlie features in this powerful TV ad, telling his story and the story of his community. With the help of GetUp’s environmental partner organisations, we’ve secured advertising spots on Sky News (the channel shown on every TV screen in Federal Parliament). If we can air this ad in the offices of MPs and Senators during the critical final sitting days of Parliament, we’ll show them just how much worse off Australians will be, including those in the Coalition’s heartland, if the Government cuts the RET.

Will you chip in to help show the Government that cutting the Renewable Energy Target will risk losing their key voter base in regional Australia?

http://www.getup.org.au/renewing-australia

So far, the RET has created 24,000 new jobs and $20 billion worth of investment in Australia. But as it stands, investment has dropped by 70% this year just from the mere speculation that the Government will cut the RET.1 If speculation proves true and the Government cuts the real 41,000 GWh target, it would completely devastate the industry.

When Tony Abbott came into office just over a year ago, he declared Australia “open for business”. But regional towns across Australia – the Coalition’s core – are beginning to speak out about how his plan to cut the RET will do the exact opposite.

And the Coalition are listening to their constituents closely. Right now, the Abbott Government is more vulnerable than they’ve ever been in the polls2 – they know they can’t afford to lose supporters, which is why we need to take the story of Goulburn to Canberra. Because as people in Charlie and Kim’s community know, an attack on the Renewable Energy Target is an attack on regional Australia.

If enough of us chip in what we can, we can keep this strategic TV ad running on Sky News for the remainder of the parliamentary year so our politicians know cutting the RET would mean damage to their electorates they can’t afford to risk. If we raise enough money, we’ll be able to fund ads in critical regional and marginal electorates too.

Click here to check out the video and help get it on air!

Over 75% of Australians support the Renewable Energy Target. Yet many of our leaders probably haven’t heard Charlie’s story, and may not know just how much of a difference renewables make to regional Australians’ lives. Now’s our chance to prove to politicians voters know cutting the RET will hurt Australian jobs, households and the economy, and that we won’t support it.

Thanks for helping tell the success story of renewables to those who need to hear it most.

Paul and Sally for the GetUp team

PS – On Monday, Senator Jacqui Lambie resigned from the Palmer United Party. Despite the renewable energy industry creating almost a thousand jobs and tens of millions of dollars worth of investment in Tasmania, Ms Lambie has already stated she’s ready to negotiate the RET’s repeal with Mr Abbott.3 Tony Abbott has never been closer to cutting the RET, so we need to act now. Will you chip in to get this ad on air? http://www.getup.org.au/renewing-australia

References:
[1] Investment in renewable energy down 70 per cent: Climate Council report, ABC News Online, 10 November 2014
[2] Poll Bludger: Obama-Xi deal spoilt Abbott’s hoped-for G20 bounce, Crikey, 21 November 2014
[3] RET under new threat from cross benchers after Lambie quits PUP, Renew Economy, 24 November 2014

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