Abbott attack on clean energy

The Abbott Government is trying to shut down the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) by stealth after ordering it not to invest in wind and small-scale solar power projects.

The $10 billion fund has been ordered to stop investing in wind and small-scale solar projects and told its focus must be on new and emerging technologies.

The directive was issued as part of a deal with crossbench senators to reduce Australia's Renewable Energy Target (RET). 

Labor's environment spokesman, Mark Butler, has accused the Government of trying to shut down the fund, saying the moves mark a "dramatic escalation" in the Government's war on wind farms.

"The Government is deliberately trying to make the job of the CEFC impossible in order to achieve what it's been trying to achieve unsuccessfully through the Parliament, which is to stop it doing its job at all," Mr Butler said.