Murray Plains electorate
Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:47): (992) My question is for the Minister for Energy and Resources because I have constituents wanting to access her government’s heating and cooling rebates but who cannot, because they live in regional Victoria. The most recent complaint I received is consistent with all the others. The recommended websites never respond. The 13 pages of authorising stores do not specify the areas they cover, and when you contact them they all respond with ‘Can’t help you, you live too far away.’ In other words, you do not live in Melbourne, so you do not matter. The rebate may be only a few hundred dollars, but for many people, including our senior citizens, the money can make a big difference to whether they are comfortable in their own homes or not. Could the minister advise me how regional Victorians can actually access the reality of these alleged rebates instead of once again being treated as second-class citizens in their own state?
The SPEAKER: I ask the member for Murray Plains to reword his question so that he is not asking the minister for an action.
Peter WALSH: Could the minister please inform me –
The SPEAKER: When will the minister –
Peter WALSH: When will the minister advise me how regional Victorians can actually access the reality of these alleged rebates instead of once again being treated as second-class citizens in their own state?