The Palaszczuk Labor Government skimmed $309m from the revenue of Energy Queensland in the last financial year alone, the LNP revealed today.
Deputy Leader Tim Mander said Labor’s massive rort of the government-owned corporation – the parent company of Ergon – should be ended and the funds used to support retail price competition in regional Queensland.
Such a policy would save regional Queensland households an estimated $300 a year and would be introduced by a future Deb Frecklington LNP Government.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government is pocketing bumper profits for itself, when they could be used to introduce retail price competition into regional Queensland,” Mr Mander said.
“Householders in the Southeast are seeing bills fall thanks to retail competition introduced by the LNP, but Labor is reserving regional Queensland as a monopoly for Ergon.
“In fact, the $309m that the Palaszczuk Government is creaming off Energy Queensland’s profits would cover the costs of introducing regional retail competition twice over.
“An LNP Government would stop treating regional Queenslanders like second-class consumers and bring down their power bills.”
The Energy Queensland annual report, released in the wake of the mass-dumping of 75 government reports on Friday evening to avoid public scrutiny, revealed that the company returned $1,161 million to the Palaszczuk Government in 2017/18.
Labor used the cash to fund subsidies and rebates totalling $852 million – leaving it with a clear $309m paid for by Queensland households and businesses.
LNP Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said Labor was taking the regions for a ride.
“Labor should stop ripping off regional Queenslanders and give them access to the cheaper electricity that consumers in the Southeast are now getting,” Mr Hart said.
“Queenslanders deserve a fair deal no matter where they live.”
