Page 417 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The government have been very focused on participating in national energy market reforms. They are providing choice to customers, providing competition, rewarding product innovation and keeping downward pressure on electricity costs. In this context the government have welcomed the entry of Origin into our retail electricity and gas markets. This is a move that is generating significant discounting in the retail electricity and gas market, to the benefit of consumers and household budgets.
In driving down the costs of electricity we also have to make sure that they are more sustainable. Renewable energy is the heavy lifter of the government’s greenhouse gas reduction effort. The 90 per cent by 2020 renewable energy target will deliver around three-quarters of the emission reductions needed to meet the ACT’s legislated greenhouse gas reduction target. Around two-thirds of the renewable energy generation needed to meet that target will come from large-scale renewable energy generators. The government have never hidden from the fact that buying renewable energy does cost a little more, but we have also been very clear that it is more than offset by our energy efficiency improvement and ACTSmart energy efficiency schemes.
Let me turn to those schemes. The energy efficiency improvement scheme saves, on average, just over $4 per household per week. You would think that such a scheme would be supported by a party that says it cares about household budgets, but I regret to say, yet again, that the Liberal opposition have failed to support legislation that delivers net savings to households on their electricity and gas bills, savings of $4 per household per week. That is extraordinary.
Mr Coe: How do you pay for it?
MR CORBELL: That is the net saving, Mr Coe. After the pass-through cost that is a net saving. I do not know how many times I will have to say that, but it shows, of course, the absolute bankruptcy of the Liberal Party on this issue of so-called professed concern, so-called confessed concern, for household budgets when they are the only party in this Assembly to vote against laws that deliver net savings on energy costs of $4 per week to approximately 70,000 to 90,000 Canberra households. That is more than two-quarters.
Mr Coe: What about the others?
MR CORBELL: I am very happy to take Mr Coe’s interjection because—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Lawder): There is no need to take Mr Coe’s interjection.
MR CORBELL: Madam Assistant Speaker, I would simply make the point that the more households that participate the more savings are passed through. I draw the opposition’s attention to the detailed regulatory impact assessment that was tabled as part of that bill that confirmed higher participation would see even further savings delivered in net terms to households.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video