Page 1245 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 11 April 2018
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business time tomorrow for much of the same, I do wonder whether there is no other business to appear on the notice paper. That is the government’s prerogative. However, I note that we did ask the government to cognate the debate so that both motions could be debated together today. That request was rejected.
In the lead-up to the last election, the Canberra Liberals confirmed their agreement to the 100 per cent by 2020 target. In February last year, in a response to a motion brought forward by Minister Rattenbury, the Canberra Liberals agreed and acknowledged that the ACT could meet the 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020 if the predictions and expectations of contracts signed by previous environment Minister Corbell came to fruition. From all information to date, and acknowledging the ACT government’s repeated reassurances that we could, we take this at face value.
In October last year, in response to a motion brought on by Mr Steel, we again agreed and stated our agreement to the 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020 target. Now, once again, we have another Labor backbench member asking the Assembly to reaffirm its commitment. I honestly do not know how many times the Labor Party needs to ask for yet another confirmation of it.
However, as we have now been given an opportunity yet again to debate this topic, let me take this opportunity to remind members of what else we confirmed. We also firmly put on the record that the Canberra Liberals will hold the ACT government to account on their commitment to provide an adequate supply of renewable energy for the territory, as well as to look at sufficient storage capacity. We have always said that it is critical that our community have access to reliable, secure energy that is affordable and sustainable.
Whilst this government seems to have no issue with whacking cost upon cost on Canberrans, whether that be through rates, land tax or increasing power costs, the Canberra Liberals will always stand up for the most vulnerable members of our community who are being forced to choose between cooking and heating their homes.
If answers to questions put on notice earlier this year by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Coe, are any indication, cost pressures on a range of utilities will make living in the ACT an expensive exercise for the average family, even before the question of renewable energy is taken into consideration. For example, in 2007-08 the fixed water supply charge was $85. For this current financial year it is $104.21, an increase of over 18 per cent. Sewerage over the same period rose 23 per cent, and electricity supply charges over 49 per cent.
The same questions on notice also identify that over the 2016-17 to the 2020-21 financial years the large feed-in tariff cost will total $240 million and the cost of renewable electricity will be wholly passed on to ACT electricity consumers. We have already seen rises in water and sewerage, and their supply depends on electricity to deliver and maintain. With the cost of electricity set to rise, those costs will also rise, providing a triple whammy to Canberra households. I doubt that that falls within the proviso of affordable.
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