Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy President. It is great to see you here in good health. I have not seen your smiling face for a couple of weeks. Welcome back. I rise to take note of answers given to questions today too, but before I do, if I may, I just want to clarify that it is a very serious issue when we talk about families struggling and, more importantly, when pensioners do it hard. Trust me, we all know how hurtful and distressing that can be. I think it is important that we do clarify one thing for the record. Senator Adams touched on pensioners too scared to turn their heaters on, shivering through the freezing winter, with no help from the Barnett state Liberal government which increased the cost of power by some 47 per cent in Western Australia.