❓ Opposition asks about increased electricity disconnections, attributing them to government policies. Premier denies the claim, highlighting their efforts to reduce electricity price increases and support vulnerable households, while criticizing the previous government's record.
AnsweredQoN 911Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY DISCONNECTIONS
911. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
I
refer to the record number of electricity disconnections in Western Australia
as a result of the Premier's mean-spirited cost-of-living
increases and to real concerns from the Western Australian Council of Social
Service that struggling Western Australians are having to choose between
heating and eating.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that the number of electricity disconnections has doubled in
the past three years?
(2) What is he doing to address this
cost-of-living crisis?
911. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
I
refer to the record number of electricity disconnections in Western Australia
as a result of the Premier's mean-spirited cost-of-living
increases and to real concerns from the Western Australian Council of Social
Service that struggling Western Australians are having to choose between
heating and eating.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that the number of electricity disconnections has doubled in
the past three years?
(2) What is he doing to address this
cost-of-living crisis?
AnswerView source ↗
Prior to answering the question, I acknowledge
the members of the Indigenous Player Alliance who were in the Speaker's
gallery a moment ago. Some of the sporting heroes of Australia are here today.
Well done to the Minister for Sport and Recreation for having them here.
I also acknowledge in particular the
delegation from Zhejiang province, our sister state, and Madam Dong, the consul
general to Western Australia. I thank them all for coming to Western Australia
and I hope very much they enjoy their visit.
(1)–(2) The
government acknowledges that many people in our community do it tough and many
people struggle on a day-to-day basis. That is why in the last state budget, we
brought down a budget with the lowest increase in fees and charges in 13 years.
We brought down a budget that had an increase in electricity prices at the rate
of inflation—1.75 per cent. The forward estimates that we inherited had
the increase in electricity prices at seven per cent for this year. We reduced
it from seven per cent to 1.75 per cent. That obviously had a significant
impact on the budget, because, in effect, that was the government ensuring that
there was some protection for people in the community when we put that in place.
The member asked me about the sorts
of things we are doing. We have reinstated funding for financial counselling so that organisations across the
community, such as the Salvos and organisations of that nature , can
provide financial counselling, as they did before the budget cuts under the
last government. We have increased the funding for the energy assistance
payment for households and we have increased the funding for the hardship
utility grant scheme to support people who might be having financial difficulties.
In the last two years of the last
government, we found that the number of disconnections went up by 75 per cent
in 2015–16 and 2016–17. I am advised that the rate of
disconnections has gone up over the period
2017–18 to 2018–19 by less than two per cent. It is a little
hypocritical on the part of the Liberal Party to run these arguments
when its record was one of putting up electricity prices by over 80 per cent,
an increase for households of over $2 200 in fees and charges during its time
in office at a time of record revenue. Then it blew out the state's
debt levels to over $40 billion, which we have to deal with, and now it
pretends that that does not exist. We do our best to keep fees and charges for
households down as much as we can. That is why we kept it at the lowest rate in
13 years.
the members of the Indigenous Player Alliance who were in the Speaker's
gallery a moment ago. Some of the sporting heroes of Australia are here today.
Well done to the Minister for Sport and Recreation for having them here.
I also acknowledge in particular the
delegation from Zhejiang province, our sister state, and Madam Dong, the consul
general to Western Australia. I thank them all for coming to Western Australia
and I hope very much they enjoy their visit.
(1)–(2) The
government acknowledges that many people in our community do it tough and many
people struggle on a day-to-day basis. That is why in the last state budget, we
brought down a budget with the lowest increase in fees and charges in 13 years.
We brought down a budget that had an increase in electricity prices at the rate
of inflation—1.75 per cent. The forward estimates that we inherited had
the increase in electricity prices at seven per cent for this year. We reduced
it from seven per cent to 1.75 per cent. That obviously had a significant
impact on the budget, because, in effect, that was the government ensuring that
there was some protection for people in the community when we put that in place.
The member asked me about the sorts
of things we are doing. We have reinstated funding for financial counselling so that organisations across the
community, such as the Salvos and organisations of that nature , can
provide financial counselling, as they did before the budget cuts under the
last government. We have increased the funding for the energy assistance
payment for households and we have increased the funding for the hardship
utility grant scheme to support people who might be having financial difficulties.
In the last two years of the last
government, we found that the number of disconnections went up by 75 per cent
in 2015–16 and 2016–17. I am advised that the rate of
disconnections has gone up over the period
2017–18 to 2018–19 by less than two per cent. It is a little
hypocritical on the part of the Liberal Party to run these arguments
when its record was one of putting up electricity prices by over 80 per cent,
an increase for households of over $2 200 in fees and charges during its time
in office at a time of record revenue. Then it blew out the state's
debt levels to over $40 billion, which we have to deal with, and now it
pretends that that does not exist. We do our best to keep fees and charges for
households down as much as we can. That is why we kept it at the lowest rate in
13 years.
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