Four people have died and an unspecified number of houses have caught fire since Mr Garrett launched the rebate program last year.

Most damaging for Mr Garrett is the fact that the peak industry body, the National Electrical and Communications Association, warned him nearly 12 months ago that the fast rollout of the program was fraught with danger.

The association didn't go so far as to say people would die, but it did express concern about the industry's capacity to deliver on the scheme without some householders falling victim to dodgy practices, given the sudden increase

in demand for the service that the program would bring.

Mr Garrett was asked this week whether he felt responsible for the deaths of the four people who have died. It was a question that clearly made him uneasy.

Of course, he is not responsible for their deaths. It would appear they are the result of bad practices on the part of those doing the installation or their employers. No doubt a coroner will examine the details of each.

So while Mr Garrett cannot be said to have blood on his hands, there are questions to be asked about the wisdom shown by the department in rushing out the program and in not responding appropriately to concerns raised along

the way.

Even after the first two deaths, not enough was done to ensure contractors were properly qualified and trained to carry out installation.

It wasn't until this week, when a fourth person died, that Mr Garrett acted to suspend installation of foil insulation and conduct a safety audit of all homes.

The cost of that audit could be as high as $50 million.

As of today, electricians working under the program must undertake mandatory training before they can begin installation.

Mr Garrett is not a career politician, and this sometimes shows through his handling of his portfolio.

The insulation debacle comes on top of bungling with the Government's Green Loans program and its solar rebate system, which also saw him engaged in damage control.

Even for a seasoned politician, having to defend oneself against accusations of incompetence is reason to squirm.

And that's certainly what Mr Garret has been doing this week.

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