The Government and Opposition closed ranks again today against the interests of Australia's solar power industry.

Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and Steve Fielding all voted against a Greens motion to underpin the flawed Solar Flagships program with vital loan guarantees, a feed-in tariff and grid connection support, even though there is clear global evidence that this will be necessary for the solar industry to flourish in Australia.

"Rudd Labor is being exposed as more interested in photo ops with solar panels than in actually creating jobs and reducing emissions with a flourishing Australian solar industry," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

"The Rudd Government's Solar Flagships program is increasingly being seen by industry as a classic 'Hollow Men' idea without any policy backing. It has been delayed for 18 months and is attracting criticism for being unworkable from the very companies it is supposed to support.

"It is no wonder that Australian solar technicians and entrepreneurs are still going overseas at a great rate, taking advantage of feed-in tariffs and supportive governments in Europe, Asia and North America.

"It is worth noting that the Nationals Senators voted against their own party's new policy of supporting a feed-in tariff."

The motion reads:

That the Senate:

a) Notes:
i. That US Company First Solar has signed an MOU to build a 2GW solar power station in China and that this single plant will be eight times larger than projects called for by the Solar Flagship Programme.
ii. That the Solar Flagship Programme depends for success on significant levels of private sector capital.
iii. That the global financial crisis is exacerbating difficulties Australian companies are experiencing in accessing private sector capital for innovative renewable technologies.
iv. That Solar Systems has gone into voluntary administration because of a lack of investment capital.
v. The lack of a comprehensive or coherent policy framework to encourage private sector investment in renewable energy.

b) Calls on the government to underpin success of the Solar Flagship Programme by:
i. Providing loan guarantees for commercial scale demonstration projects.
ii. Implementing a gross national feed-in tariff for small to utility scale renewable energy projects.
iii. Planning and funding electricity grid extensions to connect remote utility scale projects.