Members statements
Energy costs
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (14:43): Today we have seen the government release the default offer on electricity. What is clear with the default offer is that energy costs, electricity costs, are up on what they were just two or three years ago – in fact they have gone up 17 per cent, or $240, since 1 July 2022. Announcements have been made over the last three years, and it has gone up 17 per cent, or $240 – that is what people are paying. Bear in mind that the default offer is not the full story; that is only a relatively small number of people – around 13 or 14 per cent of Victorian domestic consumers and perhaps 20 per cent of small businesses. But what is clear is that the St Vincent de Paul and Alviss Consulting work which was done actually looked at what people were paying at the end of last year, and they found that Victorians paid the highest increases – a 28 per cent surge in the cost of electricity, a 22 per cent surge in gas. In the case of small businesses there was a very significant increase. On average it is 8 per cent higher across the rest of Australia, but 17 per cent in Victoria for small businesses. And gas bills are up a massive 31 per cent in Victoria. These costs are very significant, and they come on top of the tax and charges of this government, the huge regulations –
A member interjected.
David DAVIS: Actually, I tell you what, it has gone up, up – slightly there, and it is all up over that period. It is up. People are paying – (Time expired)