For the second time in two months Chris Trevor has swallowed the party line and voted against blue collar workers in Gladstone. The Coalition last night moved amendments to Labor's Renewable Energy Target (RET) legislation to sustain profitability in the aluminium industry and protect blue collar workers in towns such as Gladstone. The Hansard of last night's proceedings records that Mr Trevor voted against Coalition amendments that would provide aluminium smelting – Australia's most energy intensive industry – with a full 90 per cent exemption from RET liabilities. Under Labor's plans, aluminium smelting will only be given a partial 55 per cent exemption from RET liabilities therefore leaving the industry left with a $700 million renewable energy bill over the first 10 years of the scheme. Chris Trevor sits in Federal Parliament on a margin of 0.16 per cent to represent the people, the workers and the businesses of Gladstone. But last night's vote shows that he has failed to stand up for his electorate. Hansard records from 4 June show Mr Trevor again voted against his electorate in favour of Labor's flawed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that would have left the aluminium industry with a $3.3 billion carbon bill over the next decade. On both occasions Mr Trevor has sided with the Government and voted to rip millions upon millions of dollars out of Gladstone's regional economy. As it currently stands, the RET legislation will cost Rio Tinto's Boyne Smelter a staggering $200 million dollars over the next 10 years. Rio Tinto's Gladstone aluminium operation directly and indirectly contributes $3.34 billion to the Gladstone regional economy and employs more than 3,000 workers. In giving evidence to the Senate Economics Committee earlier this month, Ms Xiaoling Liu President of Rio Tinto Alcan told Senators the following: Rio Tinto Alcan operates 23 smelters globally. All these smelters sell on to the global aluminium market, and therefore additional regulatory cost in Australia cannot be passed through. Australian smelters compete within Rio Tinto for access to sustaining capital. Early last year, we were fortunate enough to attract $685 million for significant upgrades at our Boyne smelter in Gladstone… In my opinion, unless there are changes to Australia’s climate change policy, including this legislation [RET], we will not be able to attract that kind of sustaining capital in the future. The impact will be inevitable, predictable and commercially rational over time. It would be regional communities like Gladstone which will ultimately bear the brunt of this legislation. Mr Trevor has failed his electorate and has left the task of protecting blue collar workers in Gladstone to the Senate. The Coalition will move in the Senate to sustain profitability in the aluminium industry and protect blue collar workers in towns such as Gladstone", said Senator Boswell. ENDS