The Wire

So called green jobs was the big ticket item at today’s ALP national conference – the first since they took government. Kevin Rudd’s main aim was to walk the fine line between appearing to be an economic conservative managing the economy in difficult times, but at the same time paving the way to move us to a green economy and address climate change. The $94 million dollar green jobs package announced today includes thirty thousand trainee and apprentice positions … all of whom will be trained up in green skills… There’ll also be a new Green Jobs Corps for young people to undertake a twenty six week environmental training program. It all sounds like good news for the environment and for jobs – but the Greens say it’s not enough if we don’t put in place strategies to move us away from our reliance on coal. So does the public buy the PM’s image of managing the economy and the environment – and is it possible to do both?