WORRIED industry figures who warned Kevin Rudd’s staffers about the home insulation scheme were told not to disagree “with a PM who is rating 73 per cent in the opinion polls”.
Industry representative Kevin Herbert is giving evidence to the insulation royal commission, which is investigating whether four installer deaths in 2009 and 2010 could have been avoided.
Mr Herbert worked with the Australian Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers’ Association in 2009 and represented the body at a government-run meeting on February 18, 2009, two weeks after Mr Rudd announced the $2.8 billion economic stimulus scheme.
He said insulation industry officials raised concerns at the meeting about the haste of the rollout, the illogical use of foil insulation, and electrocution deaths in a similar scheme in New Zealand.
Mr Herbert said one bureaucrat turned to Andrew Wilson, who was with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and asked whether the scheme would still go ahead.
He said Mr Wilson said: “You can’t disagree with a PM who is rating 73 per cent in the opinion polls”.
Mr Herbert, a former journalist, said he felt the statement was extraordinary and approached Mr Wilson at the end of the meeting.
He asked Mr Wilson: “Are we really hearing that you’re saying that the Prime Minister wants this to go ahead no matter what?”
He said Mr Wilson answered: “Yes, that really is it; it’s going ahead.”
Mr Wilson gave evidence yesterday and denied making such comments.
The royal commission has heard four inexperienced installers died during the rollout of the economic stimulus scheme, which was cut short in February 2010.
