LNP takes final step towards electricity asset sales

Media Release

Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt said Campbell Newman was set to break his promise not to sell electricity assets, with the LNP passing new laws that hands electricity pricing to the private sector.

“Electricity deregulation is the LNP’s final step towards electricity privatisation,” Mr Pitt said.
“The LNP tonight voted to hand big business the power to set electricity prices, which means profits will come first.
“It makes our electricity assets far more attractive to potential buyers, which is Campbell Newman’s ultimate aim."
“The Premier has failed Queenslanders so badly on electricity he will not stop until those assets are completely sold off."
“This is a man who came to office promising in his ‘contract with Queenslanders’ that he would lower power bills, yet they’ve risen by over $440 on average in just two and a half years and now he says it’s all too hard and the private sector should determine how much we pay."
"This is a man who in January last year said did he not support privatisation nor deregulation*.”
Mr Pitt said the Opposition would not allow the Newman Government to simply wash their hands and walk away because they have failed to deliver on their promise to reduce electricity bills.
“Campbell Newman’s record electricity price increases have been devastating for households and business across Queensland. Since the LNP was elected there have been 43,810 residential and 4,031 business disconnections due to non-payment across Queensland," he said.
“More than 8,800 of those disconnections were pensioners, the same people Campbell Newman decided to abandon in his Budget when he cut their electricity rebate."
“Labor did not support the LNP’s new legislation because it is simply the final hurdle on Campbell Newman’s path to privatisation which will only lead to higher prices."
“At the last election Campbell Newman told Queenslanders to take their electricity bills to the ballot box and then delivered the largest average yearly increase in electricity prices on record."
“At the next election, the choice for Queenslanders is clear: the LNP will sell your electricity assets, Labor won’t.”

*On 16 January 2013 Premier Campbell Newman said in The Cairns Post:

"I believe the electricity assets that we own as a state of Queensland should be owned by the people. I don’t support privatisation, nor do I support deregulation…"