Tony and Helen Marchant run the much-loved Dr Syntax
Hotel in Sandy Bay and are among many Tasmanian business doing it hard with sky
rocketing energy costs.
The Marchant’s best-case scenario will see their pub’s
energy costs increase by $800 a month in future, which is nearly $10,000 a
year.
Energy costs, on top of other increases, are making
life tough for the Marchant’s and other Tasmanian business owners.
Tasmanian Labor has a policy of capping power price
increases at 2.5 per cent each year for the next three years which would ensure
that Tasmanian households and businesses save significant amounts of money.
Households would be better off under our policy by
around $500 a year and businesses would save thousands of dollars.
Tasmanian Labor introduced legislation twice during
the parliamentary year to cap power prices but each time the state Liberal
Government voted against the legislation.
The State Liberal party also took the policy of removing Tasmania from the
National Electricity Market (see linked 2018 Liberal election video) to the
2018 election but have since abandoned that commitment, breaking a key election
promise.
Tasmanians should not be paying huge power prices.
Parliament does not resume until the 28thof February in 2023, but there is no reason we cannot recall it to resume much
sooner so we can deal with this energy crisis.
With all our cheap, renewable energy Tasmanians should be paying Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Energy
