The weak Rockliff Government’s broken promise to delink Tasmania from the National Electricity Market has left Tasmanians at risk of further power price rises, as well as being potentially liable for millions of dollars in compensation to mainland power generators.
With power prices soaring to unprecedented levels and electricity providers pressuring the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to increase prices further, there is a real risk that some of these costs will be passed onto Tasmanian consumers.
That means the 12 per cent power price increase Tasmanians are already facing may well be just the beginning.
The Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Energy Minister Guy Barnett have dismissed Labor’s proposed cap on power prices and cancelled next week’s Parliamentary sitting to avoid debating the legislation.
Mr Rockliff and Mr Barnett also need to explain whether Tasmanians will foot the bill for compensating mainland energy generators affected by the recent chaos in the National Energy Market.
Will they rule out any further price rises in Tasmania as a result of this national market chaos.
This could potentially run into millions of dollars, all because the Liberals refused to honour their promise to delink from the national market.
Jeremy Rockliff needs to come clean on how big this bill might be and to rule out further power price rises, to ensure Tasmanians aren’t hit by even more financial pain.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
