Turn out the lights, Australia
Warren Truss Nationals’ leader Warren Truss issued this media release today:
The Rudd Government can no longer hide – its disastrous emission trading scheme will help drive up household electricity prices by as much as $918 a year, the Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said today.
This extraordinary figure was revealed today by the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. The Tribunal has not pulled its punches – the majority of this extra slug comes from Labor’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme tax.
“No wonder the Prime Minister has always refused to tell the Australian people what the dollar cost of his mad scheme is,” Mr Truss said. “Now we know why.
“Today’s announcement by the Tribunal confirms that Federal Labor has lost all economic credibility. The Government is proposing a tax that will hit every family, but yet do nothing to help the environment or lower temperatures.
“This increased electricity cost is just the tip of the iceberg too – we still don’t know how badly other sectors will be hit. We do know they will all have much higher costs because of electricity price hikes.
“The Tribunal admits that low-income households will be hit the hardest. There is now nothing that Federal Labor can do to explain away the blow of its giant money-go-round scheme that will enrich city traders of emissions permits at the expense of every other Australian.
“What is now going to happen in New South Wales will surely be mirrored in the other states and territories. Everybody uses electricity so the costs of the CPRS will build and build through the production cycle,” Mr Truss said.
“If Labor wins the next election, will the last person to leave Australia please turn out the lights?”
