❓ The Minister for Energy details the Cook Labor government's cost-of-living relief measures for WA households, including energy rebates and hardship programs, while contrasting their approach with the previous Liberal-National government's record on electricity prices and support schemes.
AnsweredQoN 621Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ENERGY —
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
621. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to support Western Australian families to manage
cost-of-living pressures.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on how this government is providing direct financial
assistance to all Western Australian households through our state-owned energy
companies?
(2) Can the minister
advise the house on how this government's record of supporting
households compares with the Liberal and National parties?
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
621. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to support Western Australian families to manage
cost-of-living pressures.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on how this government is providing direct financial
assistance to all Western Australian households through our state-owned energy
companies?
(2) Can the minister
advise the house on how this government's record of supporting
households compares with the Liberal and National parties?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Thank
you, member for Landsdale, for the question. I know that she has deep concerns
on behalf of her constituents to make sure they have a government, such as the
Cook Labor government, that is very keen to support them with cost-of-living
pressures in the energy sector. I remind everybody that so far the Labor
government has provided the $600 rebate in 2021 and a $400 rebate in 2022. In
conjunction with the federal government, we have provided a $500 boost for
energy assistance customers and $400 to all other residential customers, which
will be paid in two instalments. I remind members that those rebates were
opposed by the Liberal Party.
We have gone and done other things as
well. Of course, unlike the Liberal Party, we have not increased electricity
prices by 97 per cent, as was done by the former government. Remember that when
we came to government, the former government
had a pathway for a seven per cent per annum increase in electricity prices. It intended to increase the price of electricity by 30 per cent if it
was re-elected in 2017. Fortunately for the
people of Western Australia, that increase in cost did not occur because they
got a Labor government. They are not the only things we are doing. Both
Synergy and Horizon Power have a case management program whereby they work with
hardship customers to assist them through their challenges, because it is not
just that they cannot pay their power bill; there are usually other issues
involved. With the Minister for Community Services, we have reformed the
operation of the hardship utility grant scheme and put the financial
counselling service back into HUGS, which was taken away by the last
government. The last government's
changes to HUGS meant that it was helping Synergy and Horizon Power but not the
residents . Synergy has created the Keeping Connected program to work
with customers. It is a voluntary program that
Synergy itself has developed. I met some of the people involved in that
program. They are really proud of the work they are doing. Of course,
the hardship connection strategy sees disconnections as the last resort, not
the first resort, as was being done under the former government.
The other thing we have done is to
introduce the household energy efficiency scheme. On Friday, I was very pleased to meet the HEES coaches. This
program is being managed by Anglicare in conjunction w ith financial counsellors and other non-government
organisations. Horizon has its version of the program using Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations as the opportunity to engage. It was
really interesting to talk to the energy
coaches. One of them explained to me how they dealt with a particular person.
They went through every single piece of electrical equipment in the
house and worked out that the reason the power bill was so high was that the
person was using a fridge that had been donated to them by a friend. No-one
really understands why, but that fridge was creating the bill problem in the
house. The HEES program has replaced the
fridge and now that person's energy bill is significantly lower. That
is a massive assistance . Another example given to me by one of the
coaches was of a woman—I could not believe this—who had a $1 300 bill for one two-month period. Her
employer—this is unusual—got her to take home bees in hives to keep in the garage of the house. The employer had her heating the garage to
manage the bees through winter and that was leading to a $1 300 bill for two
months of energy!
These
people are saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars not just for one year—obviously,
they are also benefiting from the grants that we have given—but
for the rest of their life. That is why I was shocked to see the shadow
Minister for Energy, the member for Cottesloe, criticising the program. Here we
have a program that Anglicare, UnitingCare West and other NGOs and Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations in the Pilbara are working through
with the Financial Counsellors' Association of Western Australia to
assist 10 000 individual Western Australian families to permanently reduce
their electricity bills—forever—and the member for Cottesloe
criticises it. No wonder they are so out of touch.
Dr D.J. Honey : When?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This is the
member's tweet from 12 November 2021 when we made the announcement of
the program. Here he was, if he has forgotten. We have not forgotten. He might
have, but we have not. I am happy to table it. He called the scheme ''expensive
bureaucratic PR''. Tell that to the individuals who are being helped by
this program. I champion this program. It is modelled on programs around the
world. There is enormous research that demonstrates why it should be
championed. When we launched the program back in 2021 with the then Minister
for Community Services, the member for Fremantle, I made the point that if we
give a person a fish, we feed them for a day, but if we teach them to fish,
they will feed themselves for life. That is what this is about. Of course, the
one-off contributions to people's bills gives everyone a benefit. I do
not know whether the member for Cottesloe
opposes that. It is appalling that he opposes this program, because this one is
making massive differences to lots of individuals and I am very proud to
be the minister. I table the document.
[See paper 2224 .]
you, member for Landsdale, for the question. I know that she has deep concerns
on behalf of her constituents to make sure they have a government, such as the
Cook Labor government, that is very keen to support them with cost-of-living
pressures in the energy sector. I remind everybody that so far the Labor
government has provided the $600 rebate in 2021 and a $400 rebate in 2022. In
conjunction with the federal government, we have provided a $500 boost for
energy assistance customers and $400 to all other residential customers, which
will be paid in two instalments. I remind members that those rebates were
opposed by the Liberal Party.
We have gone and done other things as
well. Of course, unlike the Liberal Party, we have not increased electricity
prices by 97 per cent, as was done by the former government. Remember that when
we came to government, the former government
had a pathway for a seven per cent per annum increase in electricity prices. It intended to increase the price of electricity by 30 per cent if it
was re-elected in 2017. Fortunately for the
people of Western Australia, that increase in cost did not occur because they
got a Labor government. They are not the only things we are doing. Both
Synergy and Horizon Power have a case management program whereby they work with
hardship customers to assist them through their challenges, because it is not
just that they cannot pay their power bill; there are usually other issues
involved. With the Minister for Community Services, we have reformed the
operation of the hardship utility grant scheme and put the financial
counselling service back into HUGS, which was taken away by the last
government. The last government's
changes to HUGS meant that it was helping Synergy and Horizon Power but not the
residents . Synergy has created the Keeping Connected program to work
with customers. It is a voluntary program that
Synergy itself has developed. I met some of the people involved in that
program. They are really proud of the work they are doing. Of course,
the hardship connection strategy sees disconnections as the last resort, not
the first resort, as was being done under the former government.
The other thing we have done is to
introduce the household energy efficiency scheme. On Friday, I was very pleased to meet the HEES coaches. This
program is being managed by Anglicare in conjunction w ith financial counsellors and other non-government
organisations. Horizon has its version of the program using Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations as the opportunity to engage. It was
really interesting to talk to the energy
coaches. One of them explained to me how they dealt with a particular person.
They went through every single piece of electrical equipment in the
house and worked out that the reason the power bill was so high was that the
person was using a fridge that had been donated to them by a friend. No-one
really understands why, but that fridge was creating the bill problem in the
house. The HEES program has replaced the
fridge and now that person's energy bill is significantly lower. That
is a massive assistance . Another example given to me by one of the
coaches was of a woman—I could not believe this—who had a $1 300 bill for one two-month period. Her
employer—this is unusual—got her to take home bees in hives to keep in the garage of the house. The employer had her heating the garage to
manage the bees through winter and that was leading to a $1 300 bill for two
months of energy!
These
people are saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars not just for one year—obviously,
they are also benefiting from the grants that we have given—but
for the rest of their life. That is why I was shocked to see the shadow
Minister for Energy, the member for Cottesloe, criticising the program. Here we
have a program that Anglicare, UnitingCare West and other NGOs and Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations in the Pilbara are working through
with the Financial Counsellors' Association of Western Australia to
assist 10 000 individual Western Australian families to permanently reduce
their electricity bills—forever—and the member for Cottesloe
criticises it. No wonder they are so out of touch.
Dr D.J. Honey : When?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This is the
member's tweet from 12 November 2021 when we made the announcement of
the program. Here he was, if he has forgotten. We have not forgotten. He might
have, but we have not. I am happy to table it. He called the scheme ''expensive
bureaucratic PR''. Tell that to the individuals who are being helped by
this program. I champion this program. It is modelled on programs around the
world. There is enormous research that demonstrates why it should be
championed. When we launched the program back in 2021 with the then Minister
for Community Services, the member for Fremantle, I made the point that if we
give a person a fish, we feed them for a day, but if we teach them to fish,
they will feed themselves for life. That is what this is about. Of course, the
one-off contributions to people's bills gives everyone a benefit. I do
not know whether the member for Cottesloe
opposes that. It is appalling that he opposes this program, because this one is
making massive differences to lots of individuals and I am very proud to
be the minister. I table the document.
[See paper 2224 .]
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