Victorians given the cold shoulder by Labor

THE Victorian Council of Social Service’s Power Struggles report highlights the hardship and strain being placed on Victorians because of soaring power prices, says Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources David Southwick.

Daniel Andrews tripled the brown coal royalty rate in the 2016-2017 Victorian Budget, forcing the Hazelwood Power Station to pay an extra $87.5 million in tax or close.

Hazelwood Power Station generated 22 per cent of Victoria’s electricity.

The average Victorian household faces a $300 increase in their annual energy bills this year according to the St Vincent De Paul Society.

On the Neil Mitchell program on 3 November 2016, Daniel Andrews said in relation to the impact of Hazelwood’s closure to Victorian households: “any increase will cause pressure on household budgets, I acknowledge that. But the numbers are more in the order of 4% or 85 cents a week.”

Attributable to Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, David Southwick:

Today’s VCOSS report shows that under Daniel Andrews, Victorians are being forced to go hungry and without heating because energy prices are too high.

Daniel Andrews is doing nothing to tackle a cost of living crisis in Victoria, leaving it up to the Federal Government to deal with soaring power prices.

A Liberal Nationals Government will never actively pursue increases in cost of living pressures unlike Daniel Andrews.

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