Premier’s broken promise results in 37K Queenslanders unable to pay their power bills

• The number of Queenslanders who can’t pay their electricity bill has more than doubled in the past year
• This alarming trend is despite the fact David Crisafulli declared cost of living  a crisis he would fix
• The Crisafulli LNP Government has not delivered a single cent of power bill, petrol price or car rego relief for everyday Queenslanders

The number of Queenslanders who can’t afford to pay their electricity bill has more than doubled under the Crisafulli LNP Government.

This is despite Premier David Crisafulli promising before the election to provide cost of living relief to help Queenslanders keep their heads above water.

The latest figures from the Australian Energy Regulator show that the number of homes and businesses who have formally registered for hardship payment plans has spiked from 18,500 Queenslanders to more than 37,100 in a year.

In stark contrast, while Queenslanders struggle to pay for the basics, the Crisafulli LNP Government looks after its mates and wealthy companies.

With Queenslanders left to battle away on struggle street, the Crisafulli LNP Government continues to hand out lucrative jobs to its mates, including Peter Dutton.

And it’s given a half a billion dollar royalty holiday to Adani.

It’s not as if the Crisafulli LNP Government can’t afford to support Queenslanders.

The government is expected to reap more than a billion dollars in windfall royalty payments from the mining sector as a result of Trump’s War in Iran.

Queenslanders have rarely been placed under this sort of financial pressure and it is taking a damaging toll on household budgets.

The fact that the number of people who can’t afford to pay their power bill has more than doubled is a clear warning that economic pressures are reaching breaking point.

Quotes attributable to Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman:

“These new figures are a sign that Queenslanders are caught in the grip of a relentless affordability crisis.

“This is in another broken promise by David Crisafulli who said cost of living was one of the issues he would solve as Premier.

“Well clearly that hasn’t happened.

“We’ve seen the Crisafulli LNP Government axe universal electricity bill relief, we’ve seen the Crisafulli LNP Government hike car rego fees by about 24 per cent and the Premier has refused to do anything to address the fuel price crisis.”

Quotes attributable to Shadow Energy Minister Lance McCallum:

“To see the number of people unable to pay their power bill double under the Crisafulli LNP Government is very concerning.

“It’s the opposite of what David Crisafulli promised.

“It’s a damning indictment of the Crisafulli LNP Government’s inability to competently manage energy supply and prices.

“It’s doubly concerning when you consider Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie’s continued axing of renewable energy projects that could provide cheaper and cleaner energy.

“Instead of cost of living relief for everyday Queenslanders, what we see from the Crisafulli LNP Government is jobs for LNP mates and royalty holiday handouts to rich multinational mining companies.

“The Crisafulli LNP Government isn’t governing in the interests of Queenslanders.

“The Crisafulli LNP Government governs in the interests of its own political mates and Queenslanders are paying a heavy price on their power bills, at the bowser and when their car rego comes up for renewal.”

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