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Coalition To Tackle Labor’S Smart Meter Stuff Up A Coalition Government will move to protect Victorian families from John Brumby’s smart meter stuff up which is directly adding to the soaring cost of electricity under Labor. By Russell Northe - 24th November 2010 - Back to News Since John Brumby became Premier in 2007, electricity prices have soared by 55%. The Auditor-General reported that Labor has allowed the cost of the smart meter roll-out to 2.5 million homes and businesses to blow out from $800 million to around $2.25 billion. Every Victorian is paying higher electricity bills because of Labor’s smart meter mismanagement, whether or not they have a smart meter installed. Victorian families will be paying up to $109.68 extra on their 2011 electricity bills to fund Labor’s smart meter cost blow out. "John Brumby’s incompetent government has directly increased the cost of electricity for every Victorian family as a result of his smart meter cost blow out," Nationals Member for Morwell said. "The Coalition will take action to minimise the impact of Labor’s smart meter bungling on the electricity bills of Victorian families. "Unlike Labor, we don’t think it is fair for electricity companies to make guaranteed multimillion dollar profits, paid for by consumers, for installing their own equipment. "The Coalition wants to see a fairer sharing of the costs of metering technology," Mr Northe said. A Coalition Government will: · Immediately implement the Auditor-General’s recommendation to ensure that a proper cost-benefit analysis of the smart meter project is undertaken to determine whether and under what circumstances the program is viable; · Revise the technical specifications and cost recovery regulations of the smart meter project to ensure that the technology is appropriate and the cost impact on Victorian households and business is minimised; · Take an active role – rather than an ‘observer’ role as Labor has done – in relation to the program in order to eliminate gold-plating and waste that has blown out the cost; · Implement the Auditor-General’s recommendation to commission a program review by the Gateway Unit of the Department of Treasury and Finance on governance and implementation of the smart meter program to date; · Regulate the use of information gathered from smart meters to ensure the private information of consumers is appropriately protected; and · Release smart meter documents that the Brumby Government has kept hidden, despite
russell.northe@parliament.vic.gov.au www.russellnorthe.com.au 66 George St, Morwell VIC 3840 ph 03 5133 9088 fax 03 5133 9388
the Legislative Council ordering their production. "A Coalition Government will uncover the full facts about Labor’s smart meter mess. Victorian families deserve to know if they are being asked to throw good money after bad by continuing with the program in its current state," Mr Northe said. Mr Northe said that Victorian families needed protection from further cost blow outs in the smart meter program. "Under John Brumby smart meters have become the myki of metering. They have blown out in cost, they don’t work as promised and have lost all public confidence," Mr Northe said. "Contrary to Labor’s promises, families with smart meters cannot monitor their electricity usage, because no in-home display technology has been rolled out. "With electricity prices soaring by 55% since John Brumby became Premier, struggling Victorian families cannot afford another four years of Labor’s smart meter bungling making electricity bills even more expensive," Mr Northe said.
Media: Russell Northe 0408 22 55 23
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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