Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Minister for Energy

Wednesday 9th June 2010

180,000 Households and Businesses to Cop Power Price Shock

In Parliament today the Premier confirmed 180,000 households and small businesses will not receive the 5% cap on power prices as promised and could now face power price rises of between 10% and 25% this year.

The Premier has now completely back flipped on one of his core election promises - a 5% cap on all power bills this year.

This is the second startling back flip in less than a week, following on from moves to abandon Tasmania Tomorrow earlier this week.

How can Tasmanians take this Premier seriously? How can Tasmanians trust anything that he, or his Labor-Green Government, has to say?

The average household pays around $2000 per year for power. This means that Tasmanians can potentially expect a $500 price rise this year. That's $500 that they won't be able to spend on their kids, on putting food on the table or fuel in the car. That's $500 that they won't be able to spend in the local economy.

The Greens are also complicit in this disgraceful back flip. Nick McKim said that the Greens would deliver lower power bills and a reduction in the cost of living.

This announcement shows that he is little more than a puppet of the Labor Party and has completely sold out his principles and what he once stood for.