FED: Garrett welcomes 'bleeding obvious' opposition call

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2009
FED: Garrett welcomes 'bleeding obvious' opposition call

CANBERRA, Aug 26 AAP - Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has welcomed a "bleeding
obvious" opposition demand for Labor's home ceiling insulation scheme to be audited.

Homeowners can claim a $1,600 rebate to offset the cost of insulation under a $3.9
billion program unveiled in the government's stimulus package earlier this year.

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says the rebate should be audited because
insulation fitters are rigging prices to benefit from the government subsidy.

Mr Garrett hit back, saying the National Audit Office was already monitoring the scheme.

"All I can say about Mr Hunt is he is the last person in the queue to state the bleeding
obvious," the minister told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"And here we have a situation where the audit office is already going to undertake
performance audits and by the way, I totally welcome them."

Mr Garrett also rejected opposition claims the rebate was benefiting Chinese home insulation
manufacturers.

"The questions asked by the opposition in the House (of Representatives) are spurious," he said.

Locally-based home insulation producers were now "ramping up" production rather than
closing down, he added.

A letter has been sent to all households who had received home insulation to see if
"any issues" had arisen.

When asked if the insulation rollout should be slowed down, Mr Garrett rejected that
suggestion saying it should continue at a "firm and strong pace".

AAP saj/rl/mmr

KEYWORD: INSULATION UPDATE

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