Kim Wells

Coal defender
In March 2011 Wells defended the role of brown coal in Victoria's economy. In an interview with The Age Wells said that the state government would stick to a commitment made by the previous government to cut state greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. "We don't have the minerals that Queensland and WA have … but cheaper power means that manufacturing and other big businesses will come into Victoria because of the competitive advantage. So we want to protect that competitive advantage come hell or high water," he said.

"What we want is someone to come along and invent a conversion of brown coal into clean power. That person would be the wealthiest man alive, or the wealthiest woman," he said.

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