Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Ministers statements: energy policy

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:19): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government is bringing down power prices for Victorians. Last week the new Victorian default offer was released, with electricity bills for VDO customers going down by an average of $100 from 1 July. That is real money back in the pockets of hardworking Victorians. 520,000 Victorian families are on the Victorian default offer. Victorians on the default offer will also be paying around $311 less than the average default market offer in the rest of the country. It is great news for businesses as well, with the small business VDO going down by $261. Their bills – and those opposite might actually want to learn something about this – will now be $1290 cheaper on average than what small businesses are paying in other states.

The VDO is a very important safeguard for Victorians, with thousands on the VDO paying around $200 less than the standing offers that the VDO replaced. That did not happen by accident; it happened because a Labor government was elected and decided to put fairness back into the energy system, because what we are about delivering is fairness for consumers, fairness in terms of price and a whole agenda to ensure that we continue to have and enjoy the cheapest prices in the country. We have the lowest power prices because of our record renewable energy investments and because of instruments, like the VDO, that take money from those that want to make obscene profits from people’s power bills to make sure that there is fairness in the system.

Victorians can be assured that a Labor government will never slug them with nuclear energy, the most expensive form that we could have. What would the fallout of that be? Higher power prices and the opposition leader losing his job.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the next question, Minister, you need to provide a document to the Clerk.