The Basslink burden

What the Libs reckon

Media Release

Tasmanian Liberal Leader

WILL HODGMAN, MHA

Tuesday July 4, 2006

Labor out of power on Basslink

The State Government seems to have left itself powerless to address some of the concerns about the impact of Basslink on Hydro’s bottom line.

After revealing last week that he was looking at regulating Basslink – at a potentially huge cost to taxpayers – the Energy Minister, David Llewellyn, has now revealed this is not a decision he can make.

The government needs to explain why it appears to have left itself powerless to act to address a situation that has the potential to cause a significant financial impact on the Hydro.

The government should also explain why it didn’t proceed with a regulated link in the national electricity market if this is one of the options it’s now looking at, after just a few months of being in the NEM.

Shadow Energy Minister, Will Hodgman, said trying to blame the Liberals for the state of the Hydro finances was a joke.

“The Energy Minister, David Llewellyn, has today stooped to pathetic levels to try to blame the Liberals for the Hydro financial woes as revealed in a recent leaked document.

“That’s despite the government saying that what was contained in the document is old news, that the Hydro has no cash crisis, and the fact the issues have been broadly canvassed in the media for a considerable period of time.

“That’s also in spite of the fact that it is the Labor State Government that has ripped more than $234 million out of the Hydro since 1998.

“Instead of trying to buck-pass, the government needs to get across the issues that are concerning Hydro, and one of the key ones is the impact of Basslink on its bottom line.”