❓ Opposition questions the Premier about broken election promises regarding electricity price increases, citing financial strain on families and seniors. The Premier denies making the specific promise claimed and blames the previous Labor government for Western Power's financial losses.
AnsweredQoN 408Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY PRICES — INCREASES
408. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
2013 election promise, which has been broken every year since, to keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation.
(1) Why did the Premier break this
promise?
(2) When so many
families and seniors are already struggling with the cost of living, why did
the Premier impose electricity price increases at twice the rate of inflation?
(3) What will the
Premier say to all the people who have lost the cost-of-living assistance
payment he promised them at the 2013 election?
408. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
2013 election promise, which has been broken every year since, to keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation.
(1) Why did the Premier break this
promise?
(2) When so many
families and seniors are already struggling with the cost of living, why did
the Premier impose electricity price increases at twice the rate of inflation?
(3) What will the
Premier say to all the people who have lost the cost-of-living assistance
payment he promised them at the 2013 election?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I think in the question the member said that I made a commitment to keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation for every year. I did
not.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
did not—simple as that.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I did not. Did I say every year? No, I did not. Mr Speaker, I was talking
to the coming budget, and we kept the price pretty close to the rate of
inflation. It was not a commitment for every year at all. But we have kept
increases in electricity prices relatively modest. Do not forget that the Labor
plan was 10 per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent for seven years. It was seven
years of increases of 10 per cent! This has been forgotten. Why did we have to
increase the price so dramatically in our first two years? It was because the
geniuses from the Labor Party in government took a Western Power that was
operating profitably—it had gone for some eight years without an
electricity price increase except for one year, and it was providing dividends
and tax equivalent payments to the state government—and turned it into
a billion-dollar loss-making enterprise. They did that all by themselves!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They did. I was Minister for Energy for eight years. I remind members that of
those eight years, only in 1997 did the price of electricity go up, and it went
up by 3.75 per cent. The Labor Party came in and wrecked the business and we
had a billion-dollar debt. That is what happened. The then Labor government
turned a big business into a small business.
I think in the question the member said that I made a commitment to keep
electricity prices at or around the rate of inflation for every year. I did
not.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
did not—simple as that.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I did not. Did I say every year? No, I did not. Mr Speaker, I was talking
to the coming budget, and we kept the price pretty close to the rate of
inflation. It was not a commitment for every year at all. But we have kept
increases in electricity prices relatively modest. Do not forget that the Labor
plan was 10 per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent for seven years. It was seven
years of increases of 10 per cent! This has been forgotten. Why did we have to
increase the price so dramatically in our first two years? It was because the
geniuses from the Labor Party in government took a Western Power that was
operating profitably—it had gone for some eight years without an
electricity price increase except for one year, and it was providing dividends
and tax equivalent payments to the state government—and turned it into
a billion-dollar loss-making enterprise. They did that all by themselves!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They did. I was Minister for Energy for eight years. I remind members that of
those eight years, only in 1997 did the price of electricity go up, and it went
up by 3.75 per cent. The Labor Party came in and wrecked the business and we
had a billion-dollar debt. That is what happened. The then Labor government
turned a big business into a small business.
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