Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was going to use my five minutes to speak on a different matter but, given the short time that's left because of the late start of Senators' Statements, I will share with the chamber some news that is just out of Tasmania. It has been revealed in Tasmanian estimates not long ago that the state's energy minister, Mr Guy Barnett—who was a former senator in this place, as I'm sure many people will remember—has directed the Tasmanian energy retailer, Aurora Energy, to spend half a million dollars mailing out 80,000 cheques worth $125 each. They are mailing out 80,000 $125 cheques to Tasmanian households, instead of giving eligible customers credits on their bill. Wouldn't it have been easier to give them a credit on their electricity bill?