Pushing down the cost of power
Electricity bills are on the way down for Queensland households and small business.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From 1 July, regional prices reduced by 1.3 per cent, and at the same time, electricity providers announced cuts of between 1.3 and 8.6 per cent for their south-east corner customers.
Under the LNP, electricity prices rose by 43 per cent.
And under their proposed policies, government spending will rise by more than $700 million over four years.
The numbers tell the story.
The Palaszczuk Government understands that the cost of living is an issue for families and impacts on small business’ capacity to create jobs.
That’s why we continue to focus on putting downward pressure on electricity prices.
And these latest reductions show that it’s working.
Our $2 billion Affordable Energy Plan will continue to tackle electricity costs.
More than 53,000 Queensland households are reducing energy usage and bills with the energy efficient appliances we helped them buy with our rebates.
Our means-tested, interest-free loans will help more Queensland families install solar systems.
Every household is receiving $50 off their power bill this year, and next year, and our price cap guarantees that electricity prices will not rise above inflation for two years.
Independent bodies including the QCA, Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Regulator have variously found that our policies are working, and that the wholesale energy market is operating appropriately.
Dr Anthony Lynham,
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
.
LNP backs preventative health
The LNP is a strong supporter of preventative health measures, particularly given our ageing population and increased pressure on health budgets.
Sadly, Annastacia Palaszczuk has been slow to act on introducing measures to increase the focus on disease prevention.
It's clearly not a priority for Labor.
As a consequence, the recent state budget contained a number of missed targets.
These include:
· Healthy eating measures
· Male smoking rates
· Queenslanders (men and women) getting sunburnt and increasing the risk of sun cancer
· Child vaccination rates for ages 1, 2 and 5 years
· Breast cancer screening
· Pregnancy health awareness
Poor lifestyle, nutrition choices and habits have led to the global obesity crisis.
As AMAQ President Dr Dilip Dhupelia recently said of the recent state budget:
"For weeks now the government has been talking about the obesity scourge that we have in Queensland, and the AMA has asked for a whole of government solution to our obesity crisis.
"This was not delivered today."
We need more awareness, more education and more funding to organisations to spread the word.
It not only makes sense in terms of improving people's general health, it will save our public health system in the long-term as well.
Queenslanders deserve a world-class health system no matter where they live.
That is not happening under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Ros Bates
LNP Shadow Minister for Health and Women
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
