The Leader of the Opposition questions the Minister for Energy regarding an apparent discrepancy between a previously stated 2.75% electricity price increase and a subsequent 4% increase. The Minister deflects by claiming he only agreed with the Opposition Leader's inflation estimate.

AnsweredQoN 87Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 May 2013
Portfolio
Energy

QuestionView source ↗

ELECTRICITY PRICES
87. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the minister's
statement in this house on 18 April this year in which he stated that
electricity prices would increase by 2.75 per cent this year.
(1) Why has the
minister increased electricity prices by four per cent when he said it would be
2.75 per cent?
(2) Given it is
now only three weeks since the minister made that promise, how can he explain
breaking that guarantee that he made in this house?

AnswerView source ↗

Thanks for the question.
(1)–(2) The
Leader of the Opposition asked me a question three weeks ago which I answered
succinctly ''Yes''. The second question he asked me was, ''What
is the expected rate of inflation?'' The Leader of the Opposition
suggested it was 2.75 per cent, and I said ''Yes'' to that. That
is the estimate in the budget. He also asked if the Premier had announced that
the rate of increase in electricity prices would be at or about the rate of
inflation, and I said ''Yes'' to that.
The Treasurer announced today that
electricity prices would go up by four per cent. That is higher than the
estimated rate of inflation, which is 2.75 per cent, but my argument would be
that is at or about the rate of inflation.

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