Cheaper Power (Supplementary Appropriation) Bill 2024

As Treasurer, delivered the reply speech strongly defending the $1,000 electricity rebate funded by progressive coal royalties, arguing the LNP would cut cost-of-living relief if elected.

“Thanks to the cheaper power bill before the House, Queenslanders will get a cheaper power bill, with at least $1,000 off their bill from 1 July. Every dollar will be funded by progressive coal royalties.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard

Introduced the bill as Treasurer, arguing the $1,000 household rebate and $325 small business rebate are funded by progressive coal royalties and public ownership of energy assets, representing Labor values and providing the biggest electricity rebates in Australian history.

“The cheaper power bill is direct Labor action that will ease the cost-of-living pressures on hardworking Queenslanders because the Miles Labor government is doing what matters for Queensland.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Confirmed the opposition will support the bill but argued it is a bandaid solution necessitated by Labor's decade of failure, highlighting Queensland's 19.9 per cent electricity price rise, the Callide Power Station debacle, and the government's inability to deliver structural cost-of-living solutions.

“I confirm that the opposition will be supporting the bill.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported cost-of-living relief measures while criticising Labor's decade of mismanagement and the Callide Power Station being offline for nearly three years. Argued the LNP differs by focusing on driving real reform to lower underlying electricity costs.

“Each and every Queenslander—with the exception of a few—is struggling with the cost of living. That is what brings us here today. As the shadow Treasurer said, and as we have said publicly, unlike what the Premier has said in this chamber today, we support any measure that helps with the cost of living.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as committee chair, arguing it helps Logan residents with household costs and is funded by progressive coal royalties and public asset ownership. Warned that the LNP would cut these rebates if elected.

“I rise to support the Cheaper Power (Supplementary Appropriation) Bill because, fundamentally, it helps the residents of Logan with household costs.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill but characterised it as a pork barrel before the October election, criticising the lack of means testing and the insufficient support for small businesses at only $325 compared to $1,000 for households.

“Yes, we are happy to take coal royalties. I think we took about $7 billion in the last budget in coal royalties. We ship it off to China for China to burn it into the atmosphere, but we cannot burn it at Callide because it is coal and that is a nasty thing for the left wing of the Labor Party.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting Treasury's advice that means testing is not feasible as the government does not hold income data, and arguing the rebate provides real, tangible relief to households in her electorate.

“There is nothing quite like that initial feeling of dread when a bill arrives in your letterbox, or inbox as the case may be, and then that palpable feeling of relief when you look at the bottom line and you realise you do not have to pay it because there is no outstanding amount.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Did not oppose the bill as a committee member but criticised the large discrepancy between household and small business rebates, and highlighted unreliable electricity supply in North Queensland with 14 unplanned outages since Christmas in her community of Midge Point.

“The opposition will not be opposing the bill because we know that hardworking Queenslanders deserve every opportunity to reduce power bills and put more money back into their own hip pockets to spend on the necessities they are struggling to afford right now.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as Energy Minister, correcting claims that Callide Power Station was completely offline by noting units B1 and B2 have been continuously operational and C3 returned to service on 1 April 2024. Cited the Australian Energy Market Operator report showing Queensland has the most reliable energy system of any mainland state.

“When this bill is passed, Queenslanders will have the lowest power bills in the nation by a country mile.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the rebate as welcome relief for North Queenslanders facing bills of $2,500, but argued it is only a short-term fix. Called for long-term strategies including adjusting the equalisation tariff for Ergon customers and exploring small nuclear reactors as dispatchable base load power.

“We have to address the cost of electricity long term.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Did not oppose the bill but argued it proves the government has lost control of electricity prices. Cited the Auditor-General's confirmation that generators were immune to rising coal prices, and cast doubt on the financial viability of the government's pumped hydro projects.

“The fact that they now have to come into this House and pass a bill to access another $2.267 billion to distribute this rebate is clear proof that this Miles government has lost control of electricity prices in this state.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill but criticised it as a temporary bandaid that excludes homeless people and those without separate electricity accounts. Argued Labor's coal royalty changes will decline as coal prices fall and called for genuinely raising mining royalties across all resources and reversing the privatisation of electricity retail.

“Cost-of-living relief is needed now more than ever in Queensland. Every Queenslander should have access to cheap or even, I would argue, free electricity as an essential service for our community.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the rebate but argued it makes power bills cheaper temporarily without making power itself cheaper. Advocated for nuclear energy, noting the ban prevents market forces from determining viability, and argued renewable disruption to the grid is driving up prices.

“This makes the power bills cheaper in the short term; it does not make power cheaper.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill due to cruel cost-of-living impacts on constituents but called it a bribe before an election. Provided detailed account of the Callide Power Station explosion and the government's refusal to release the Sean Brady report, and highlighted the severe impact of high electricity costs on farming and regional communities.

“The $1,000 subsidy is a bribe to Queensland voters to ignore the fact that electricity bills are as a result of Labor's policies and Labor's incompetence.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill but argued it is a temporary measure that will not address fundamental electricity system failures. Noted Callide C4 generator was still operating at zero per cent capacity and pointed out that once the rebate runs out, Queenslanders will face their highest electricity bills ever.

“When Queenslanders get their bill in about March of next year, when that $1,000 and the $300 from the feds runs out, what will their electricity bill be? It will be the most expensive electricity bill Queenslanders have ever paid.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Did not oppose the bill but described it as a sugar hit before an election, questioning why small businesses did not receive the full $1,000 rebate. Highlighted severe cost-of-living hardship including constituents not eating for days and sitting in the dark to avoid electricity costs.

“One lady in my electorate said she had not eaten for three days.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill as welcome cost-of-living relief but criticised it as a blunt instrument that does not reach homeless people or those without separate electricity accounts. Questioned why after years of using this approach the government still cannot target payments to those most in need.

“If an analysis were done of that $2 billion-plus cost, how much more may have been available for those in genuine need?”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the rebate as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, noting the LNP voted for progressive coal royalties in two budgets. Argued the government caused the cost-of-living crisis through the highest electricity price rises in the nation and criticised Labor's fear campaign about LNP intentions.

“We absolutely support the rebates because Queenslanders are desperate. Every person living on the river here outside of parliament in the park, under the bridge, in their tents, in the cars across all of our electorates are owed this rebate by the Labor Party.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill but argued regional and rural Queensland faces far worse cost-of-living pressures than Brisbane. Called for royalties to be reinvested in the regions that generate them, and highlighted farmers returning to diesel pumps because they cannot afford electric pumps.

“If they want to continue taking those royalties from the mining sector, then put some money back into the mining sector to allow these miners to develop their projects because they have dreams and aspirations.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported the bill and acknowledged the need for cost-of-living support, highlighting businesses in his electorate struggling with electricity costs including a baker who invested $30,000 in a diesel generator because it costs the same as grid power, and a strawberry business closing due to water and electricity costs.

“If running a generator on diesel to run your business gets to be the same cost as running it off the electricity grid there really has to be something wrong.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard

Supported cost-of-living relief measures but condemned Labor's inability to maintain state owned power assets. Highlighted a small business owner in Charleville facing a 30 per cent insurance increase to $35,000, arguing the $325 small business rebate falls far short of actual cost pressures.

“The LNP supports measures that provide cost-of-living relief for Queenslanders, but this is a bandaid solution to the cost-of-living crisis created and brought about by this tired, third-term Labor government.”— 2024-05-21View Hansard