‘ BLAME POWER PRICES ON ALP’
NORTHERN Australia Minister Senator Matt Canavan says the blame for all power price hikes should now be put on the re- elected Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Senator Canavan said Labor being returned for a second term would rule out any possibility of a coal- fired power plant being built in North Queensland.
“The people responsible for your power are the Labor Party,” he said, adding the party had denied North Queenslanders a reliable source of power. Senator Canavan’s attack came as Katter’s Australian Party’s Nick Dametto claimed victory in Hinchinbrook, securing 57 per cent of the vote after preferences.
ALL future power price hikes across Queensland should be blamed on a re- elected Palaszczuk Government, according to Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan. The outspoken senator said the Labor Government had denied North Queenslanders a reliable supply of power. Labor looks set to form a majority government, which would rule out any possibility of the LNP’s proposed high- efficiency low- emissions coal- fired power station for North Queensland. “Every power price rise that occurs from now on should be blamed on the Queensland Labor Party,” Mr Canavan said. “The people that are responsible for your power are the Labor Party.” A Government spokeswoman said with its mix of coal, gas and renewable powers generation, Queensland was widely recognised as having the most secure electricity supply in the National Electricity Market. “Queensland’s publicly owned thermal generators are the youngest and most efficient fleet in the country, and will continue to be so when older, less efficient, privately owned generators in other states have been shut down,” she said.
Townsville Enterprise director of policy and investment Michael McMillan said Townsville should not kiss goodbye to a HELE power station.
“I’m sure it will still be discussed quite prominently at the federal level,” he said.
“I don’t think we’ve heard the end of this just yet.
“We’ll be encouraging the Government to look for an appropriate solution in regards to power prices. This will be the test for Labor.”
Australian Power Project CEO Nathan Vass said it was up to local leaders to take into account the needs of North Queensland.
“Politics now is so locally driven more than ever, local MPs have to really think about what the local region needs and NQ needs baseload power,” he said. “If you don’t have a clean coal- fired power station generating baseload energy then it’s going to be very difficult for NQ to compete.”