Thursday 9th March 2017
Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said that relief on skyrocketing gas and electricity prices for regional small businesses has been pushed to the backburner by the Andrews Government.
Small Business Minister Philip Dalidakis refused to answer questions in Parliament today on whether his department was doing any work on the impact of increasing power costs in regional areas home to many energy-intensive businesses in dairy manufacturing and food processing.
“While the Andrews Government is distracted dealing with the rorting behaviour of its own MPs the best interests of regional small businesses have been put on the backburner “ Mr Walsh said.
“Local small businesses have reported massive increases in their gas and electricity bills and it is making it harder to operate in country Victoria.
“Prices food processors receive for their products are determined by world markets so tragically increased energy costs will see farmers paid less for their products. “
Electricity costs jumped up to 16.6 per cent for small businesses in 2017 while households saw a 10 per cent increase.
Mr Walsh said Victoria is on the path to an energy security crisis if Daniel Andrews continues his desperate grab for greens preferences.
“A Liberal-Nationals government would scrap the unrealistic Victorian Renewable Energy Target so country Victorians won’t have to face repeated blackouts and higher energy prices “ he said.