When Hydro and Transend are buying cheaper power interstate, it makes no sense for the Labor-Green Government to deny all Tasmanians the same choice.
The Liberals believe that mums and dads and small businesses should also be able to choose who they buy their power from so they can shop around for the cheapest prices.
This whole issue is becoming increasingly farcical by the day.
This should be the final nail in Lara Giddings’ claims that Tasmanians need ‘protection’ from competition. Tasmanians need protection from this government.
You can only assume that silly ideological reasons are behind the Labor-Green Government denying all Tasmanians the advantage of a competitive market.
If they won’t act, we will.
As part of our positive plan we will introduce legislation into Parliament next month to open up the energy market in Tasmania. TRU Energy has said that this could lead to savings of up to ten percent.
There is a cost of living crisis in Tasmania at the moment that is hurting families, businesses and the economy and its costing jobs. Our positive plan to deliver cheaper power prices is one way we can actually do something to take the pressure off all Tasmanians.
First published: 2011-02-08 06:47 PM
Thursday, Feb 10, Matt Smith, Mercury:
TASMANIAN households would be paying $35 extra on their annual power bills if contestability was introduced tomorrow Premier Lara Giddings said yesterday.
The call comes as the State Government came under increased pressure form the Opposition after it was revealed yesterday energy companies Origin and TRUenergy would be interested in entering the Tasmanian retail market if it was opened for competition.
Opposition energy spokesman Matthew Groom said the comments from the energy companies were in direct opposition to previous comments made by Energy Minister Bryan Green.
On Sunday, Mr Green said there were five energy retailers in the Tasmanian market offering power to commercial clients and only Aurora supplying household customers.
He said: “The other four have flatly ruled out selling power to households if full contestability was introduced tomorrow”.
However, Origin Energy told the Mercury yesterday it agreed in principle to a contestable market and would be interested if the market opened up, allowing it to sell to Tasmanian householders.
Ms Giddings said the State Government would introduce greater competition into the retail energy market tomorrow if they thought it would succeed.
“We want to see cheaper electricity in this state and if that was [clearly achieved] through introducing retail contestability, we would do it today,” Ms Giddings said.
She said figures from the Economic Regulator’s final report into contestability showed Tasmanian’s power bills could climb by $35 a year if retail contestability was introduced.
Mr Groom said the Liberal Party would push for legislation to ensure Tasmanian families and small businesses had a choice.
