Ben Small (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is brought to you by the number 5 and the letter F—F for fail—unfortunately, because power prices for businesses in WA are up by 58 per cent in just three years. I have a struggling small family-run commercial property business in my electorate whose owner has opened their books to me, and the numbers don't lie. Their power prices up are by 58 per cent in three years. For anyone who doesn't know how a commercial lease works, it is the tenant who pays for the power that they use. So if your barber shop has been whacked with a power price increase of more than 50 per cent, guess who is paying for that? You are. If your local cafe has been whacked with a power price increase of more than 50 per cent, is it really a surprise that the coffee you were paying $4 or $5 for three years ago is now $7 or $8? The reality is that you are paying for this increase. Businesses really are the canary in the coalmine. Speaking of coal, why is power cheaper in Japan than it is in Australia today? You heard right. Japan, which imports LNG and coal from Australia, has cheaper power than Australia, where the LNG and coal is in the ground here. It's time that we put Australian resources to use for Australians first and cheaper power prices will just be the start.