MINISTER MUST PREVENT WASTEFUL AURORA SPIN CAMPAIGN

The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Minister for Energy Bryan Green MP to prevent Aurora Energy wasting more money on an advertising campaign to spuriously shift responsibility for its poor management decisions on to the carbon tax.

Green Energy spokesperson Kim Booth MP welcomed the Minister’s undertaking to seek a briefing with Aurora Energy on the matter, in response to a question on the floor of Parliament this morning.

“Aurora Energy has already lost considerable money on the failed broadband over power lines debacle and the massive cost of the bungled billing system,” Mr Booth said.

“The Minister must rule out allowing Aurora to waste more public money on a misleading advertising campaign at a time when households and businesses are suffering financially because of high power prices.”

“To blame power price increases on the carbon price would be spurious, and it would only serve to disguise the litany of incompetent, wasteful decisions made by Aurora in previous years.”

“Tasmanians have already been paying through their power meters for years of bungled energy decisions such as the purchase of the dud AETV power station, and the Greens will not stand by and watch more good money being thrown away on a pointless spin campaign.”

“It is the poor old mum and dad electricity users who are paying for the expensive power from AETV. Having to pay through their meters for a false spin campaign shifting blame for Aurora losses on to a carbon price is adding insult to injury.”

“I urge the Minister to inform the House as soon as he has met with Aurora, and to rule out allowing any such PR campaign to proceed,” Mr Booth said.
Kim Booth MP Greens Forestry Spokesperson