❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett about a significant increase in street lighting costs for local governments, alleging a broken election promise regarding electricity prices. Premier Barnett defends the government's overall electricity price management and clarifies that the election promise focused on household consumers, not street lighting.
AnsweredQoN 418Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY
PRICES — STREET LIGHTING
418. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's now broken promise from the
election leaders' debate to keep electricity prices ''at or
around the rate of inflation''.
(1) Why has
the Premier put up the cost of street lighting for local governments by 11.8 per
cent this year, a 472 per cent increase above the inflation rate?
(2) Will not
this increase be passed on to ratepayers through their rate notices, so that
ratepayers and councils will have to pay?
(3) Is this not just another broken promise by the Premier to
the people of Western Australia?
PRICES — STREET LIGHTING
418. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's now broken promise from the
election leaders' debate to keep electricity prices ''at or
around the rate of inflation''.
(1) Why has
the Premier put up the cost of street lighting for local governments by 11.8 per
cent this year, a 472 per cent increase above the inflation rate?
(2) Will not
this increase be passed on to ratepayers through their rate notices, so that
ratepayers and councils will have to pay?
(3) Is this not just another broken promise by the Premier to
the people of Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
When I said this during the election campaign, bearing in mind that we had
inherited a massive debt and massive chaos in the energy industry —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite had a bit of a retrospective today. I remind them that their
policy when they lost government was increases of 10 per cent, 10 per cent, 10
per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent. That was their policy, and they would
still be doing it; they would be making no headway at all. That was their
policy. They would still be doing 10 per cent if they were in government.
The forward estimates—members opposite seem to love
the forward estimates —
Ms M.M. Quirk : A
broken promise!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : How
original! Did the member think of that herself? Well done!
The forward estimates showed a five per cent increase. We
delivered a four per cent increase. When it comes to the words ''at or
around the inflation rate'', underlying inflation in Australia is running
at about three per cent or 3.5 per cent.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Have members noticed that the Australian dollar has dropped by 15 per cent?
What will that do to prices? It will push prices up to an underlying rate of
around three per cent—at or around three per cent or four per cent. I
think the public understands that. What members opposite were doing was running
around and talking about double-digit increases and increases of seven or eight
per cent. That is what they were doing. I pointed out in the debate, Leader of
the Opposition, that, no, it will not be that. Was it that? No, it was not. It
was a four per cent increase.
Mr P.B. Watson :
You're going red in the face, Premier!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Are you? I am not. But you are, member for Albany.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Leader of the Opposition was charging around with all these extravagant and
false claims about electricity prices. The government did what we said: we
produced a low rate of increase of four per cent. Did the public complain? No;
the public accepted that that was a pretty good result.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The public did. The Leader of the Opposition was talking about seven, eight or
nine per cent increases and all this nonsense. It was not true, and it did not
happen.
With respect to street lighting —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The member for Warnbro is so patronising!
Several members interjected.'
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He resents successful people. He resents success.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
With respect to street lighting, as the Minister for Energy has reminded me,
that is contestable, and that is out there in the market. Indeed, that is a
commercial business. What we were talking about during the election campaign
was electricity prices for household consumers. I do not remember talking about
street lighting during the election campaign. I do not think it came up as a
topic.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Very tricky!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Not tricky at all. Honest.
When I said this during the election campaign, bearing in mind that we had
inherited a massive debt and massive chaos in the energy industry —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Members opposite had a bit of a retrospective today. I remind them that their
policy when they lost government was increases of 10 per cent, 10 per cent, 10
per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent. That was their policy, and they would
still be doing it; they would be making no headway at all. That was their
policy. They would still be doing 10 per cent if they were in government.
The forward estimates—members opposite seem to love
the forward estimates —
Ms M.M. Quirk : A
broken promise!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : How
original! Did the member think of that herself? Well done!
The forward estimates showed a five per cent increase. We
delivered a four per cent increase. When it comes to the words ''at or
around the inflation rate'', underlying inflation in Australia is running
at about three per cent or 3.5 per cent.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Have members noticed that the Australian dollar has dropped by 15 per cent?
What will that do to prices? It will push prices up to an underlying rate of
around three per cent—at or around three per cent or four per cent. I
think the public understands that. What members opposite were doing was running
around and talking about double-digit increases and increases of seven or eight
per cent. That is what they were doing. I pointed out in the debate, Leader of
the Opposition, that, no, it will not be that. Was it that? No, it was not. It
was a four per cent increase.
Mr P.B. Watson :
You're going red in the face, Premier!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Are you? I am not. But you are, member for Albany.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Leader of the Opposition was charging around with all these extravagant and
false claims about electricity prices. The government did what we said: we
produced a low rate of increase of four per cent. Did the public complain? No;
the public accepted that that was a pretty good result.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The public did. The Leader of the Opposition was talking about seven, eight or
nine per cent increases and all this nonsense. It was not true, and it did not
happen.
With respect to street lighting —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The member for Warnbro is so patronising!
Several members interjected.'
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He resents successful people. He resents success.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
With respect to street lighting, as the Minister for Energy has reminded me,
that is contestable, and that is out there in the market. Indeed, that is a
commercial business. What we were talking about during the election campaign
was electricity prices for household consumers. I do not remember talking about
street lighting during the election campaign. I do not think it came up as a
topic.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Very tricky!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Not tricky at all. Honest.
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