Queanbeyan resident Shane Taylor says his electricity bills have increased 18 per cent since the introduction of the Carbon Tax. Photo: Andrew Johnston
THE financial effects of the Labor Government’s Carbon Tax are already being felt in the hip pocket by those in the community according to Queanbeyan resident Shane Taylor.
Mr Taylor, who was on hand at Liberal candidate Peter Hendy’s campaign launch last Saturday, told The Queanbeyan Age the cost of his electricity bills had risen 18 per cent since the introduction of the tax.
“That kind of increase is quite substantial,” Mr Taylor said. “It just means taking more money out of people’s everyday spending and it means less money for things like medical bills.
“Electricity is an essential so you have no choice but to pay it and the Carbon Tax is hurting a lot of people.”
Local Labor member for Eden Monaro Mike Kelly however, says the introduction of the Carbon Tax is only minimally to blame for any recent rise in electricity prices.
Mr Kelly has previously launched what he has labelled a Power to the People campaign directed at the NSW State Liberal Government’s energy policies – policies he believes are primarily responsible for the price hikes.
“We know the absolute truth to this, the NSW jurisdiction is responsible for a 70 per cent rise in electricity over the past four years and a 58 per cent rise in the last 12 months alone,” Mr Kelly said.
“During that time the NSW Government has doubled its profits by gouging consumers on electricity, that is a matter of fact.
“Only a tiny part of electricity price rises has been due to the Carbon Tax and that difference has been, if anything, over compensated for by [the government’s] Household Assistance Package.”
