2017-08-10
Turnbull’s fireside chat with electricity retailers won’t stop price increases: Bandt
Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that Malcolm Turnbull can fly big retailers to Canberra and beg them to reduce prices, but unless he’s willing to adopt Greens policy to re-regulate electricity prices, or secure further commitments in his next scheduled meetings, costs will continue to rise for consumers.
“Malcolm Turnbull is trying to regulate the words on power bills but the Greens want to regulate the price,” said Mr Bandt.
“Malcolm Turnbull’s fireside chat secured nothing to stop retailers now axing discounts or jacking up prices.
“If he doesn’t adopt the sensible approach of re-regulating prices, at the very least Malcolm Turnbull needs an additional ironclad agreement from big retailers that they won’t now find ways to push prices up.
“The weak agreement struck yesterday shows why re-regulation is the only option to reign in power prices and prevent bill shock.
“For consumers struggling to keep the lights on, yesterday’s meeting was a crushing anti-climax.
“We’re in the middle of an electricity crisis and Malcolm Turnbull is simply flogging the culprits with a wet lettuce. Price caps are the only way to ensure that electricity prices stop spiralling out of control.”
Media contact: Gideon Reisner, 0429 109 054
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