LNP to give everyday Queenslanders a voice on electricity boards

16 Oct 2017 9:25 AMMichael Hart

 

LNP to give everyday Queenslanders a voice on electricity boards

Sunday, 15 October 2017

 

• An LNP Government will give consumers a seat on the boards of Queensland power companies

• Queensland families are hurting from record high electricity prices yet Labor appoints union puppets and former Labor politicians to boards

• Labor uses electricity charges as a secret tax on Queenslanders, but the LNP has a plan to ease power price pain

 

An LNP Government will give electricity customers a fair go by putting consumer representatives on the boards of electricity companies.

 

LNP Leader Tim Nicholls said Queenslanders were sick of paying record high electricity prices because Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor continued to use electricity costs as a secret tax on families and businesses.

 

“The LNP understands consumers cannot continue to face soaring electricity costs alone,” Mr Nicholls said.

 

“We’ve already committed to freezing the bonuses of electricity company executives if prices don’t come down, and now we’re committing to give consumers a seat on the boards of these powerful government-owned companies.

 

“Under this do-nothing Labor Government, Queensland power prices have hit record highs and families and businesses are hurting.

 

“Instead of doing something to ease the pain, Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to give ordinary Queenslanders a seat at the table and instead appointed union puppets and former Labor politicians to board positions.”

 

Mr Nicholls said the LNP’s Fair Go for Electricity Customers plan recognised the enormous impact that decisions made by energy boards could have on Queenslanders.

 

“Just a few weeks back, Rod Sims, chair of national competition watchdog the ACCC, made it clear that network costs are the real reason Queenslanders are paying too much for power,” he said.

 

‘41 per cent of the increase in electricity prices over the last 10 years has been due to network costs and as I say we keep forgetting that. Those poles and wires that run down the street are the main reason you’re paying too much for electricity.

‘It was state governments, when they owned these poles and wires that deliberately loosened the rules which made it very hard for the AER (Australian Energy Regulator) to make sure that consumers were only paying efficient costs.

‘I have to say that, when those rules were loosened, the two states that took most advantage, or the two network businesses, were the government-owned ones in New South Wales and Queensland.’ (Rod Sims, ACCC chair, National Press Club address 20/9/17)

 

“Mr Sims comments prove that Annastacia Palaszczuk has been happy to use electricity prices as a secret tax on Queenslanders and only acted when she was caught out,” Mr Nicholls said.

 

“Annastacia Palaszczuk has turned a blind eye to Queensland Government-owned network businesses taking advantage of relaxed controls on network expenditure.

 

“As Premier, she’s ripped out 100 per cent dividends from the Government’s energy businesses, loaded them up with $5 billion of state debt and allowed Stanwell Corporation to price gouge and drive up electricity prices.

 

“The LNP has a plan to reduce power prices by scrapping Labor’s crazy 50 per cent renewable target, build with the private sector a low-emissions, coal-fired power plant for North Queensland and freeze power executive bonuses until electricity prices come down.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NB: LNP’s Fair Go for Electricity Consumers plan attached

 

Media contact: Jane Paterson 0417 281 754