Today I am re-releasing Energy Minister Guy Barnett's 2018 energy policy and his accompanying media release. They show him promising to de-link Tasmania from the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Minister Barnett has been telling Tasmanian energy users for four years that he was going to de-link from the NEM and that Tasmania would once again have the lowest prices in Australia. He has failed to deliver on both.
The government announced it had abandoned the "Lowest Regulated Energy Prices in the Nation" policy on June 3.
This weak government has failed to deliver on its energy policy and now Tasmanians are suffering through 12 per cent price increases.
Minister Barnett's attacks on Labor for maintaining our position that Tasmanians should pay Tasmanian prices are absurd because it was only two months ago he held the same position.
Minister Barnett has tethered his entire political career to the stalled Project Marinus. He will do anything to get it built, including selling out Tasmanians from small households to large, major industrials.
Tasmanians do not understand why they are experiencing major energy bill shock when we have made a century-long investment in cheap, reliable, clean energy and we have more than enough for our needs. Tasmanians should pay Tasmanian prices for energy.
Guy Barnett needs to apologise to Tasmanian energy users. From households doing it tough, who now have to pay 12 per cent more, through to large industrials who are struggling to manage rising costs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Of course, the best apology would be to reverse course, return to Parliament and back Labor's Price Cap Bill next week.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Energy Minister
