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Ingram moves amendments to protect electricity consumersMember for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, will this week move amendments to the Energy Legalisation (Consumer Protection and other Amendments) Act 2003 to extend the consumer safety net for country consumers. By Craig Ingram - 2nd June 2003 - Back to News "The cost and reliability of electricity is a major concern to my constituents," Mr Ingram said.
"Governments, the Essential Services Commission and TXU have a major challenge to provide an equitable service when the full cost of the privatised distribution network falls fully on country consumers.
"The government has attempted to lessen the financial impact of competition on rural consumers through measures like the special power bonus, but this will soon run out.
"My amendments extend the consumer safety net until the start of the next regulatory cycle when TXU and the Essential Services Commission implement a new performance and pricing agreement on the January 1, 2006.
"When full cost recovery comes into place, the privatised power network will place a disproportionate financial impost on country consumers through the system that ‘ring fences’ metropolitan consumers from the cost of maintaining the extensive distribution networks.
"We can thank the National Party for this disaster.
"They have been missing in action after not questioning how the privatisation would impact on their constituents when in coalition with the Liberal Government.
"In fact, National Party leader, Peter Ryan, told Parliament at the time that ‘Victorian country people are far better off… and they will see the benefit of (these) initiatives with the passage of the years.’ *
"Mr Ryan made that statement eight years ago after making reference to a paper prepared by the current Federal Member for Gippsland, Peter McGauran.
"In the meantime consumers have had a steady rise in their tariffs.
"All country Victorians are now paying the price for this stupidity and will pay an even greater financial burden into the future.
"The Labor Party’s performance has not been much better on this issue.
"During the 1999 election, Labor promised in its energy policy that ‘the maximum uniform tariff will reduce in real terms each year, meaning that all Victorians, regardless of geographic location, will see real electricity price reductions’.
"The government must find a solution to the ‘ring fenced’, inequitable, privatised electricity system to ensure that country consumers do not permanently become second class citizens in either service reliability or price, Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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