2017-06-05
Queensland Labor’s new energy plan ignores the real reason for spikes in energy costs, says Michael Berkman, Queensland Greens state spokesperson and candidate for Maiwar.
“The real reason for energy price hikes is privatisation and Queensland Labor’s plan ignores it.
“Since 2006-07, power bills have nearly doubled, rising by 87%.
“Over the last four years, Origin and AGL have made $7.2 billion in profits from electricity retail, and their rich CEOs are taking home massive pay packets. This is not fair.
“Labor are offering up a band-aid to fix our power prices by subsidising north Queensland power bills to the tune of $770 million, and the LNP are doing the same thing by proposing a new coal-fired power station in the north - instead of tackling the real problem, privatisation.
“Of course Queensland Labor and the LNP are ignoring the real cause of our energy crisis when they’ve received $1,330,726 in donations from AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia in the past 10 years.
“The Queensland Greens don’t take donations from energy retailers, and we have a plan to transition the state away from private retailers to an efficient public authority in order to make electricity bills cheaper.
“Households can save up to $370 per year on their power bills under the Queensland Greens’ ‘Power for People’ plan”.