Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

and there have been very substantial price rises in electricity over a period of years. For example, in the last five years nationally electricity prices have risen by more than 70 per cent without a carbon price. Of course, the rise in New South Wales has been 80 per cent. We do know that nationally the carbon price is expected to add up to nine per cent to the average household bill in 2012-13. The question I was asked was, 'Given the increases in recent years, what is it?' And that is the point I made. The great bulk of increases in electricity prices have nothing to do with the carbon price, and that is the truth of it. But, of course, you want to run around the country, running your scare campaign. The truth is that in New South Wales those generators and all of those companies owned by the New South Wales government are very profitable. If they want to use the $2 billion and $3 billion they are making out of those assets to give some relief in New South Wales, let us see Barry O'Farrell go and do that. This campaign from those opposite is completely dishonest. It is the work of a snake oil salesman going around the country saying that Whyalla will be wiped out and running around the country exaggerating the impact of the price increases.

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