Page 2219 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 August 2014
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The ACT government is working to ensure that carbon price savings are passed in full to Canberra’s households. I am happy to say that this has been achieved by submissions to the ICRC to ensure that a retrospective carbon price repeal could be implemented under the electricity price regulation framework and writing to the CEO of ActewAGL with regard to unregulated gas pricing, communicating our strong expectations that carbon price savings will be passed through in full. The repeal of the carbon price will mean that an average Canberra family consuming eight megawatt hours annually will pay $143 less in electricity bills in 2014-15 compared to last year. If the carbon price repeal had not taken place, this would have meant an increase of $85 in 2014-15 instead of a decrease.
The reality contradicts the lies in the coalition’s September 2013 policy document, still on their website, about lowering prices by scrapping the carbon tax. The site claims average families would be better off by more than $550, rising to around $900 a year in 2019-20. The coalition’s $550 figure is from old Treasury modelling. The electricity part of that increase was only to be $250 from electricity. Canberrans will only see half of this. Other Treasury forecasts included items such as food, $46; clothing, $29; and rent, $23. Yet major retailers such as Woolworths said they just absorbed the small increases and would not be dropping prices following the abolition of the tax.
In contrast, the coalition’s budget added tax and other costs to average families of thousands of dollars. Madam Assistant Speaker, in relation to your point on gas heating, the trend of higher gas prices is expected to continue. We have already heard that this afternoon. These increases are driven by the federal government’s development of gas export facilities on the east coast of Australia exposing our domestic gas price to the significantly higher priced gas in export markets. This gas price increase is a direct result of federal government policy. Families awaiting a $550 bounce in their family budget will be very disappointed.
Regardless of carbon pricing, Canberra consumers would have continued to enjoy one of the lowest electricity prices in Australia in 2014-15, approximately 30 per cent less than the national average. This government’s strong commitment to support a national carbon pricing scheme remains. It is the most efficient way of reducing emissions.
Discussion concluded.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Corbell) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
ACT Greens—fundraising
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.45): I rise to provide further information about the hypocrisy of the Greens. We repeatedly hear the Greens criticise Labor and the Liberals as being the old parties while the Greens are supposedly a pure and fresh
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