The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock said today that changes announced the Federal government to their troubled Home Insulation Program were the fourth in four months.

 

“It was almost a year ago that industry groups tried to warn Mr Garrett that his program faced grave safety issues and problems of waste and rorting,” Mr Ruddock said.

 

Mr Garrett ignored that advice. Now he is progressively being dragged kicking and screaming into making the changes that should have been in place at the start of the year.

 

The key question now is this: Why has the Federal government deferred making these safety danger changes until mid February next year? 

 

There have been three reported deaths of workers under this program and fire authorities have reported a doubling in the number of ceiling fires due to poor insulation installation. We need an inquiry to determine whether these deaths are linked.

 

This is a $2.45 billion program funded by taxpayer debt and it will go down as one of the most inept and trouble-ridden government programs in recent history.

 

“We look forward to examining the full and continuing problems of safety, waste and rorting when the program is examined by a Senate inquiry in the New Year,” Philip Ruddock said.