Energy providers targeted as cost of living spirals
In the federal government's ongoing quest to bring down electricity and gas prices, energy providers are now being targeted.
It comes as politicians prepare to return to Canberra this week to debate the national cabinet deal to provide bill relief.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen is demanding change.
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In the federal government's ongoing quest to bring down electricity and gas prices, energy providers are now being targeted. 9News
"This is Australian gas under Australian soil and Australians should pay a fair price for that, but they shouldn't be paying a wartime price," he said.
The government's latest attack on energy providers comes as states finalise plans to distribute the $1.5 billion in power bill relief.
It's relief that will save jobs, politicians claim.
"There were businesses saying to us very clearly that they wouldn't survive next year in the face of gas prices and electricity prices being what they were," Bowen said.
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However National Party leader David Littleproud said it was supply that needed to be tackled.
"We need to go to the structural issue which is supply and that's the problem they're going to have and that's why energy prices are going to continue to be high unless they tackle the supply issue," he said.
It comes as politicians prepare to return to Canberra this week to debate the national cabinet deal to provide bill relief. Luis Enrique Ascui/The Age
The longer term shift to wind, solar, hydro and battery power is plagued by the problem of reliability with dispatchable renewables still to be developed and ageing power stations preparing to close.
Liberal MP Ted O'Brien called the promises "hollow".
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"Its plan to decarbonise the Australian economy is leading to a decapitating of the Australian economy," O'Brien said.
"We've read this book before. We know how this will end."
The deal brokered at national cabinet on Friday promises to take about $200 off power bills, but the figure will vary by state.
The government's latest attack on energy providers comes as states finalise plans to distribute the $1.5 billion in power bill relief. Nine
While the government's relief is targeted at households there is also money for coal producers, drawing the ire of the Greens.
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"It shouldn't be people compensating coal and gas corporations it should be the other way round," Greens leader Adam Bandt said.
The opposition is indicating they will oppose the plan in parliament, but the government has the numbers to get the package through.
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