❓ Opposition leader Mark McGowan questions Premier Colin Barnett about a 2013 election promise to keep electricity price increases at or around the rate of inflation, accusing him of a broken promise. Barnett deflects, blaming the previous Labor government for mismanaging the electricity utility and causing significant financial losses.
AnsweredQoN 160Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY
PRICES — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
160. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's promise during the leaders'
debate in the lead-up to the 2013 state election that ''We will keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation.'' Will the
Premier today rule out increases to electricity prices by more than the rate of
inflation or will this be another broken promise, like the Premier's
broken promise to build the Metro Area Express light rail line?
PRICES — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
160. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's promise during the leaders'
debate in the lead-up to the 2013 state election that ''We will keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation.'' Will the
Premier today rule out increases to electricity prices by more than the rate of
inflation or will this be another broken promise, like the Premier's
broken promise to build the Metro Area Express light rail line?
AnswerView source ↗
We have not
made a decision yet on the Metro Area Express light rail line.
Several
members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
We have not! We have deferred it; we are yet to make a decision.
It never ceases to amaze me that the Labor Party raises the
issue of electricity prices. Through the 1990s, as I have said several times,
we had an electricity utility that ran at a profit and in only one year in
eight did electricity prices increase—that was in 1997, by 3.75 per cent.
Right throughout the eight years of the Richard Court government, there was an
increase in electricity prices in only one year. How did it all change? It changed
because the former Labor government took a profitable utility and turned it
into a basket case and now the Minister for Energy is trying to fix it. The
former Labor government took it from being profitable, with virtually no
electricity price increases in eight years, to losing $1 billion.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite do not like it, but that is what it did. It took a big
business and made it a struggling business in eight years. That is the reality.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite do not like to hear it. Look at the schedule of electricity
price increases. That is what happened. In the leaders' debate, yes, I
did say that we would keep electricity prices at or around the inflation rate.
We did for that year, and that was the commitment.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was for that year. The Labor Party's scenario, remember, was seven
years of 10 per cent increases. That is what the Labor Party went to the
election with—seven years of 10 per cent increases. This government has
not done that. We will do all that we can to keep down electricity prices and
the cost of living. The former Labor government created a billion-dollar
problem for the electricity consumers of this state; it should admit it.
made a decision yet on the Metro Area Express light rail line.
Several
members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
We have not! We have deferred it; we are yet to make a decision.
It never ceases to amaze me that the Labor Party raises the
issue of electricity prices. Through the 1990s, as I have said several times,
we had an electricity utility that ran at a profit and in only one year in
eight did electricity prices increase—that was in 1997, by 3.75 per cent.
Right throughout the eight years of the Richard Court government, there was an
increase in electricity prices in only one year. How did it all change? It changed
because the former Labor government took a profitable utility and turned it
into a basket case and now the Minister for Energy is trying to fix it. The
former Labor government took it from being profitable, with virtually no
electricity price increases in eight years, to losing $1 billion.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite do not like it, but that is what it did. It took a big
business and made it a struggling business in eight years. That is the reality.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite do not like to hear it. Look at the schedule of electricity
price increases. That is what happened. In the leaders' debate, yes, I
did say that we would keep electricity prices at or around the inflation rate.
We did for that year, and that was the commitment.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was for that year. The Labor Party's scenario, remember, was seven
years of 10 per cent increases. That is what the Labor Party went to the
election with—seven years of 10 per cent increases. This government has
not done that. We will do all that we can to keep down electricity prices and
the cost of living. The former Labor government created a billion-dollar
problem for the electricity consumers of this state; it should admit it.
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