Monday 28 February 2011

Labor price hikes are never ending

Our power bills in Cairns have doubled in the last three years.

If Anna Bligh really was concerned about Queenslanders, she would move to stop State and Federal government increases in household bills, the State Opposition said today. Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Costs of Living Rosemary Menkens said Labor was again looking after their own political interests rather than looking after Queensland's battling families.

“Increases to utility charges are crippling far too many Queensland families,” said Mrs Menkens. “The essential service of electricity is fast becoming a luxury with a luxury price tag. Now our power bills have increased by 56% nationally over the past 5 years, and doubled in price in Queensland in just 3 years.  It is no wonder the consequence has seen 5827 disconnections across regional Queensland during the September quarter alone."

“I ask how, in this modern day, can Queenslanders ill-afford electricity? I have had too many, proud community contributors who are also hard working tax payers, come to me and plead for relief from Labor’s incessant price hikes. Labor’s price hikes are coming thick and fast. Water bills are skyrocketing, with hundreds of people protesting on the Gold Coast yesterday. Car owners are also being punished by the Queensland government with the introduction of the most expensive registration fees and the scrapping of the fuel subsidy."

“Whack on top of that the Gillard Government’s intent to introduce a Carbon Tax that will see another layer of added cost to these essentials of electricity and fuel, and don’t forget Federal Labor’s flood levy...or Friday’s announcement of an increase in private health care and locally, in my electorate of the Burdekin, the associated northern road funding cut that will delay road improvement to the north. The Bligh Labor Government and the northern Labor MP's have not been critical of these road funding cuts,” Mrs Menkens said

“It appears Federal Labor are making the ammunition, while the Bligh Labor Government willingly fire it,” Mrs Menkens said.

2 comments:

Leigh Dall'Osto said...

While I have no qualms with the premise of this post because I also believe that electricity is fast becoming a luxury item, there are a few things I have some issue with.

The flood levy will apply only to those not affected by the cyclone or the floods which will effectively mean that most of Queensland will not be paying it. I actually disagree with that and would prefer an opt in option as I am quite willing to pay the levy and as far as I am aware, I will be exempt.

As for the Carbon Tax. This was not going to happen under a Labor Government but the people then chose to vote in such a manner that we now have a hung parliament. What we now end up with is compromise. Neither major party has much say in what occurs at the Federal level this term so we have Carbon Tax back on the table. This is an essential tax that was coming anyway, whether we like it or not, it's just come earlier than we expected. Gillard stated that all costs to those major polluters would raise money that would then go directly to help alleviate the costs of petrol etc so that no change in price occurs. Do we believe her.....well, we are perhaps more sceptical than we should be based on previous Governments and our recent history. It's a wait and see situation unfortunately but we should all lobby hard to ensure the promise and commitment made regarding this is adhered to.

Lastly, the issue of water costs for the Gold Coast. Correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that this cost was passed on (and is astronomical in it's rise) by the Council in that area and has nothing whatsoever to do with the State Government? This being the case, the Council office should be picketed....not the regional Cabinet meeting. Mind you, it does highlight their plight and may give pause to those in that Council and cause the changes back to sensible pricing that is desperately needed.

There is no question that price rises in all sectors of essential services and food costs are biting harder into average budgets than ever before. The cost of living is far exceeding what it should be and there is no justification for that.

This particular statement is just full of conjecture and misinformation and the danger in that is that the real issues of overpriced costing will be unfairly attributed to those who are not at fault and nothing will change.

Al said...

A few years ago, then Barron River MLA Leslie Clark informed me that the corporatisation of FNQEB to a renamed Ergon would result in greater competition and cheaper electricity prices. After spending (wasting?) millions of dollars of revenue promoting itself, inexplicably the extreme reverse has occurred.
Is there anyone who can give me a logical explanation why this is so? Anyone?