Mr. Johnston questions the Premier about a potential 21% electricity price increase following an 85% increase since 2008. The Premier deflects, blaming the previous Labor government for mismanagement and debt.

AnsweredQoN 409Legislative Assembly
Asked
19 May 2015
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

ELECTRICITY
PRICES — INCREASE
409. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the
Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Having already increased
electricity prices by 85 per cent since 2008, will the Premier follow the
budget paper suggestion and increase prices by another 21 per cent?

AnswerView source ↗

We have managed to keep prices as low as we could in the last
three or four years. We did have to increase prices significantly because of
the billion-dollar debt left by Labor from what was previously a profitable
energy utility —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
How could the then Labor government turn a utility from a profit-maker into a
billion-dollar loss? Labor members did that all by themselves. It was not as
though they did not have warnings. Report after report stated that hundreds of
millions of dollars would be lost if they did what they were going to do—but
they did it, and they lost the lot. That is the reality.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Member for Cannington.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
am finished.

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