❓ Dave Kelly questions the Minister on cost-of-living relief measures, referencing the government's commitment to keeping fees below inflation. The Minister outlines various initiatives and criticises the previous Liberal-National government's record.
AnsweredQoN 246Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Cost-of-living relief—Election commitments246.Mr Dave Kellyto
theMinister for Energy and DecarbonisationI refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keep household fees and charges below the rate
of inflation.(1)
Can the minister outline to the house how this government is helping alleviate
cost-of-living pressures on WA households?(2)
Can the minister advise the house how this government's record of keeping fees
low compares with that of the Liberal–National government?
theMinister for Energy and DecarbonisationI refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keep household fees and charges below the rate
of inflation.(1)
Can the minister outline to the house how this government is helping alleviate
cost-of-living pressures on WA households?(2)
Can the minister advise the house how this government's record of keeping fees
low compares with that of the Liberal–National government?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
24 June 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson replied:(1)–(2)
I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. I am very happy to outline
to the house what the Cook Labor government is doing to keep energy and utility
prices at affordable levels and to support Western Australian households,
particularly lower income households, to manage their energy costs The budget
handed down by the Treasurer last week contained just under a billion dollars
of cost-of-living relief alone to support households with targeted measures in
targeted ways—namely, measures for households with children and older
Australians and regional families through airfare support, as well as keeping
household fees and charges below the consumer price index. This is opposed to
other states and territories that have seen energy increases of up to 8%. The
fact that we own our utilities is a really important lever in being able to
manage household fees and charges.The budget
also contains $337 million for our WA residential battery scheme. By partnering
with the Albanese government, we have been able to supercharge that scheme and
make sure that up to 100,000 households will get a $5,000 rebate, or $7,500 for
Horizon Power customers, for a residential battery. Households with an income
of less than $210,000—that is four out of five households in Western
Australia—will also be able to access a no-interest loan scheme of up
to $10,000 to support the costs ofinstalling a battery,
the remaining cost of a battery or the cost of upgrading other solar infrastructure,including upgrading inverters.About 80% of
households will be able to access that, and that will save households about
$1,500 a year on their energy costs. There are many more cost-of-living
measures that particularly target middle-income and low-income families.
Households also received a $150 energy credit from the Albanese government on
top of the $2,100 passed on by this government over the last number of years.
Of course, we have the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme, which is financial
support of $580 a year for customers who are experiencing hardship, and the
Social Energy Housing Performance Initiative, which provides $63.2 million for
up to 4,300 households to get significant upgrades to their social housing
house. This is to provide targeted benefits, particularly in regional areas and
for those who live in the North West. We also have a $500,000 Switch Your
Thinking program. Let us contrast that to the Liberal Party, which provided
zero cost-of-living relief for families. I do not recall a single significant
policy that was taken to the last election to address the cost of living. I
cannot recall a single one! In fact, they put electricity prices—Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.The Speaker:Member for Vasse!Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson:They put electricity prices
up by 90%. They had budget issues that they wanted to resolve, and they went
straight for families and their household bills. That was all they did. They
did not support households in the way that this government is supporting
households. Keeping our energy utilities publicly owned is a key lever we have.
We know what they would do: they would sell it. They would privatise it, and
they would sell families down the river and cut them loose to survive on their
own.
Cost-of-living relief—Election commitments
I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. I am very happy to outline
to the house what the Cook Labor government is doing to keep energy and utility
prices at affordable levels and to support Western Australian households,
particularly lower income households, to manage their energy costs The budget
handed down by the Treasurer last week contained just under a billion dollars
of cost-of-living relief alone to support households with targeted measures in
targeted ways—namely, measures for households with children and older
Australians and regional families through airfare support, as well as keeping
household fees and charges below the consumer price index. This is opposed to
other states and territories that have seen energy increases of up to 8%. The
fact that we own our utilities is a really important lever in being able to
manage household fees and charges.The budget
also contains $337 million for our WA residential battery scheme. By partnering
with the Albanese government, we have been able to supercharge that scheme and
make sure that up to 100,000 households will get a $5,000 rebate, or $7,500 for
Horizon Power customers, for a residential battery. Households with an income
of less than $210,000—that is four out of five households in Western
Australia—will also be able to access a no-interest loan scheme of up
to $10,000 to support the costs ofinstalling a battery,
the remaining cost of a battery or the cost of upgrading other solar infrastructure,including upgrading inverters.About 80% of
households will be able to access that, and that will save households about
$1,500 a year on their energy costs. There are many more cost-of-living
measures that particularly target middle-income and low-income families.
Households also received a $150 energy credit from the Albanese government on
top of the $2,100 passed on by this government over the last number of years.
Of course, we have the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme, which is financial
support of $580 a year for customers who are experiencing hardship, and the
Social Energy Housing Performance Initiative, which provides $63.2 million for
up to 4,300 households to get significant upgrades to their social housing
house. This is to provide targeted benefits, particularly in regional areas and
for those who live in the North West. We also have a $500,000 Switch Your
Thinking program. Let us contrast that to the Liberal Party, which provided
zero cost-of-living relief for families. I do not recall a single significant
policy that was taken to the last election to address the cost of living. I
cannot recall a single one! In fact, they put electricity prices—Ms Libby Mettaminterjected.The Speaker:Member for Vasse!Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson:They put electricity prices
up by 90%. They had budget issues that they wanted to resolve, and they went
straight for families and their household bills. That was all they did. They
did not support households in the way that this government is supporting
households. Keeping our energy utilities publicly owned is a key lever we have.
We know what they would do: they would sell it. They would privatise it, and
they would sell families down the river and cut them loose to survive on their
own.
Cost-of-living relief—Election commitments
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