LABOR PUNISHES QUEENSLANDERS WITH HIGHER POWER BILLS
- Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor hit Queensland families and businesses with higher power bills
- Labor’s so-called energy plan is a billion-dollar hoax
- Labor has loaded up government-owned electricity companies with $5 billion of debt – forcing them to increase electricity prices
Soaring power prices under Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor are set to cut even deeper into Queensland families and businesses, warns LNP Leader Tim Nicholls.
Mr Nicholls said wholesale electricity costs had increased 70 per cent under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Today the Premier announced she had taken nine months to come up with nothing but more reviews and taskforces,” he said.
“‘Investigating’ and ‘potentially establishing’ is not a comprehensive energy plan.
“It’s a billion-dollar hoax.”
Mr Nicholls said Labor had confirmed its policies meant power bills would leap by $54 a year for households and $110 for businesses.
“Under Labor, power costs are soaring and will go through the roof under Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ideologically-driven, headlong rush to a 50 per cent renewable energy target,” he said.
“Queensland families and businesses will be paying the price in the taxpayer subsidies and higher power bills to prop up this rush of renewable projects.
“Labor’s extreme renewable energy target also poses a grave risk to energy security, the worst scenario being a repeat of the South Australian blackouts.”
Mr Nicholls said Labor’s poor financial management had triggered the skyrocketing cost of power, with the Government increasing borrowings against government-owned electricity companies to try to plug its budget black hole.
“Labor has loaded up government-owned electricity companies with $5 billion of debt – forcing them to increase electricity prices,” he said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to treat the government-owned electricity companies like ATMs has put the pain of higher power prices on families and businesses just trying to get ahead.
“Now she says she is going to pay for part of the power price rise that Labor has created by subsidising the increase with $770 million of taxpayers’ money.
“It’s a money merry-go-round. A game of hide-the-debt. And Queenslanders are paying the price.
“If elected, an LNP Government will make sure Queensland’s energy security is not put at risk and that we don’t end up like South Australia with blackouts and industry shutting up shop.
“The rush to a 50 per cent renewable energy target in Queensland will mean higher prices and we won’t stand for it.
“Only a Tim Nicholls-led LNP Government will build a better Queensland.”
