Labor’s electricity rort costs families $470 a year

27 Apr 2018 9:32 AMMichael Hart

 

Labor’s electricity rort costs families $470 a year

Friday, 27 April 2018

 

The Palaszczuk Labor Government has been caught snatching $5bn from Queensland households through massive electricity price-gouging, LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said today.

 

Ms Frecklington said the report by energy analyst Hugh Grant confirmed that almost half of the network charges paid by customers was going straight to the Queensland Government.

 

“Labor is using electricity bills to extort a secret tax from every Queensland household,” Ms Frecklington said.

 

“A 47 per cent profit margin is obscene. Annastacia Palaszcuk’s rort would make bankers blush.

 

“Millions of Queenslanders are struggling to pay their bills while their own government makes massive profits.

 

“These companies are owned by Queenslanders but have become Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cash cows.

 

“Labor pockets $470 from every household and then boasts it’s handing $50 back to consumers.

 

“Enough is enough – it’s time to put consumers first.”

 

Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said the LNP supported immediate action to take pressure off households.

 

“Labor must stop using electricity as a secret tax on Queenslanders,” Mr Hart said.

 

“We need more competition and more transparency in the market to help struggling families.

 

“We also need to extend retail competition to regional Queensland. This was recommended by Labor’s own inquiry into electricity pricing and has been ignored to protect profits.”

 

The Grant report slammed Queensland’s 2006 move to national network regulation as a ‘catastrophic failure’ that had led to price increases, ‘gold-plating’ of the network and huge profits.

 

“Annastacia Palaszczuk is just continuing Labor’s tradition of electricity rip-offs,” Mr Hart said.

 

“Labor is not just hurting households, it’s hurting businesses too and destroying jobs.”

 

Media contact: Stuart Sherwin 0438 011 226