Page 2206 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 August 2014
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The cost of living benefits on the ACT as a result of removing the carbon tax.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.00): As the leader of the Canberra Liberals, I am very proud to speak on this matter of public importance today. The Canberra Liberals are the party that are focused on serving the needs and aspirations of hard-working Canberrans. And what more fundamental role can this Assembly take than to focus on keeping down the cost of living for every Canberran in every suburb of Canberra? We are delighted to see that, finally, the regressive Labor Gillard-Rudd tax has been repealed and that electricity and gas prices for all Canberrans have fallen.
The federal Liberal Party, as you know, Mr Assistant Speaker, went to the last election with a clear mandate to scrap the carbon tax and, in turn, reduce costs for businesses and households, to boost jobs and manufacturing and to restore Australia’s international competitiveness. And it is the Liberals who stand up for reducing the cost of living. Yesterday’s headlines say it all, for all Canberra household budgets. From ABC News Online on Wednesday, 6 August 2014, the headline reads, “Electricity, gas prices reduced in Canberra after carbon tax repealed.” Let me quote in detail from an article in yesterday’s Canberra Times headed “Average ACT energy bills to drop by more than $300 a year after carbon price repeal”:
ACT residents will be more than $300 a year better off after the repeal of the carbon price, as ActewAGL announces its new post-repeal energy prices for the territory.
An ActewAGL spokesman said as a result of the Gillard government’s carbon price being repealed in July, electricity prices in the ACT would drop by about two cents per kilowatt and gas prices would fall by approximately $2 per gigajoule.
Overall, he said average Canberra utility prices were estimated to drop $222 a year for electricity users and $98 a year for those connected to natural gas, about $320 annually in total.
Mr Barr: Not the $550 that the Prime Minister promised.
MR HANSON: We will get to that, Mr Barr. Thank you for that interjection. I look forward to illuminating you on the full $550, which we will come to. You will enjoy it. The article continued:
He said the prices would come into effect for all electricity bills from August 1, 2014 and be backdated to the beginning of July, meaning customers will no longer pay the carbon price from July 1.
That is most welcome, I think. The article continued:
"Customers who have already paid their bill will receive a credit for the carbon amount which will appear in their next bill," the spokesman said.
"Customers who receive their bills after August 1 2014 will only see the carbon exclusive prices on their bills,"
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