Electricity rise ‘will cost jobs’

A BURLEIGH HEADS plastic manufacturing company will have to sack staff if wholesale power prices continue to rise.

AMEC Plastics general manager Jy Lovett said the company ran as lean as possible and an increase in power prices would mean a decrease in staff.

“I don’t want to have to send them home to say to their family they can’t afford to pay their power bill,” Mr Lovett said. “That’s what we would have to do to remain in business if it was to go too far.”

Mr Lovett made the comments during a visit from state opposition leader Tim Nicholls who accused the state government of price gouging.

The accusations come after the LNP last week reported government owned entities CS Energy and Stanwell to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for allegedly driving up prices during this year’s heatwave.

“You can’t employ people if you are facing increased power prices as a result of Labor’s tax on consumers,” Mr Nicholls said. “What has become clear is that there is gouging going on.”

Energy Minister Main Roads Mark Bailey denied the claims. “He is using absolutely distorted figures,” he said.