Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I know it will be a shock to you that energy prices have risen by 13.1 per cent this year, according to the latest inflation data from the ABS, exposing Labor's fabrications and tall stories about energy prices and the cost of renewables. Skyrocketing energy prices are the reason the cost of living has shot up to its highest rate in a year. The Treasurer has not worked out yet that the energy is the economy. The reality is that Labor is hell-bent on railroading the VNI West transmission line through farms in my electorate no matter what the cost. Official VNI West construction costs have blown out from $1.8 billion in 2023, just two years ago, to as much as $11.4 billion. Who knows how high it will go? Why does that matter? It is because every Victorian could pay 50 per cent more in their energy bills as a result. Victorian Labor are today trying to pass laws to impose fines of up to $12,000 on farmers who do not open their gates to TCB Solar in Victoria to build the VNI West. I will be standing shoulder to shoulder tomorrow morning with a protest in Ballarat at the Bush Summit, fighting for their property rights and sensible energy policy.

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