Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Minister for Energy

Tuesday 11th May 2010

Is Aurora in Financial Trouble and Will Power Prices Go Up as a Result?

The Energy Minister, Bryan Green, must start giving Tasmanians straight answers.

It is concerning that speculation regarding whether or not Aurora requires a bail out by the State Government has not been answered by Bryan Green.

Real concern now exists regarding Aurora's financial position and it is up to the Minister to explain whether or not the company requires an equity injection and if so why?

Furthermore, Mr Green must explain whether or not power prices will rise as a result and where the money for a bailout would come from.

Two weeks ago I asked Mr Green about the contents of an independent review into Hydro, Aurora and Transend and its findings. Surprisingly, Bryan Green claimed he hadn't even seen the report.

Now it is becoming clear that Bryan Green was trying to run a mile from this issue and pretended nothing was wrong. Tasmanians built these businesses and Tasmanians own these businesses and it's time Bryan Green started telling us the truth.

It would be a good start if Bryan Green could confirm whether or not he has now read the

PricewaterhouseCoopers report into Transend, Aurora and Hydro. If the Minister does have the report then he should release it publicly.

If Bryan Green won't release the report publicly then it is clear that the challenges I suspect are canvassed in the report for our energy sector may be even more serious Aurora's alleged request for $200 million equity injection.

So far since becoming a Minister again, Bryan Green has spent most of his time hiding, skipping meetings and seemingly trying to avoid doing anything at all.

Minister Green must accept that he is now directly responsible for what happens in his portfolios. He should stop trying to bury his head in the sand and hope the problems in energy and forestry will simply go away.

The buck stops with him, but is he up to the job?