Statement from Pat Weir, Shadow Minister for Energy
The Premier’s pledge to ease cost of living pressures with a power bill rebate does nothing to solve the issue of rising electricity prices in the long term.
The Australian Energy Regulator has found that electricity prices in Queensland have soared through the first quarter of this year.
Wholesale energy prices in Queensland have quadrupled.
That is a far greater increase than those seen in other eastern states.
Queenslanders are facing record bills for electricity with the independent watchdog recommending another increase.
The Queensland Competition Authority report found that rises of up to 13.4% (or an increase of $42,939 a year) for a typical large business customer and 6.5% (up $94 a year) for a residential customer was inevitable.
The Premier must explain how her government will ease cost of living pressures for all Queenslanders in the long term.
This so-called rebate is typical of this government, which is only focused on how things look, not how things actually are.
If the government was genuine about its pledges, it would outline its plan to reduce power prices in the long term.
For months, I have been calling on the Energy Minister to act.
Queenslanders deserve to know what the Minister’s plan is to guarantee a secure, affordable and reliable energy supply.
