Posted on: 14 June 2023
With the escalating cost of living crisis crippling South Australian families and their household budgets, Peter Malinauskas must include broad relief in tomorrow’s State Budget to ease the pain.
With a typical South Australian family being forced to find an extra $20,000 a year to cover everyday living expenses under Labor - the Opposition has been calling on the Malinauskas Government to offer all South Australian households who aren’t on concessions with a $250 energy rebate.
And even more pain is on the way, with energy retailers AGL and Origin confirming South Australians will have the highest price rises in the country from July 1. The average price increase for Origin is $405 (24.2 per cent) for residential and $1,133 (27.3 per cent) for small business and $565 (29.8 per cent) for AGL per year.
Yesterday, the Queensland Labor Government unveiled a huge electricity support package, which included a $550 Cost of Living Rebate for all Queensland households in 2023-24. Similar schemes have also been rolled out in Victoria and Western Australia.
On Monday, Peter Malinauskas gave families a glimmer of hope telling the media “We’ve already made a number of cost of living announcements and there may yet be more to come. This Thursday’s Budget will reveal all.”
Leader of the Opposition, David Speirs, said he dearly hopes Peter Malinauskas hasn’t got the hopes up of hardworking South Australians.
“A typical South Australian family is being left to shoulder the burden of an additional $20,000 a year under Labor to cover the increasing cost of housing, electricity and groceries – and an energy rebate would help alleviate some of that pain,” Mr Speirs said.
“Broad cost of living relief for all South Australians remains at the top of our wish list for this year’s Budget, but so far Peter Malinauskas has been ignoring our calls.
“While other states like Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia have implemented schemes to support their households, Labor’s left South Australian families in the lurch.
“If ‘Poolside Pete’ can find an extra $55 million in the Budget for a waterslide, surely he can find a way to help South Australians through this cost of living crisis.”
Shadow Treasurer, Matt Cowdrey, said broad cost of living relief for everyday, hardworking South Australians is needed sooner rather than later.
“South Australian families are about to be hit with enormous electricity bill spikes – the highest increases in the nation – yet Peter Malinauskas has been showing a complete lack of urgency to help ease this financial burden,” Mr Cowdrey said.
“Peter Malinauskas hinted there could be some relief on the horizon, and we can only hope he hasn’t dangled a carrot in front of South Australians, only to snatch it away from them in tomorrow’s budget.
“While other states are providing support for all households, Peter Malinauskas has been ignoring the difficulties everyday South Australian families are experiencing when it comes to skyrocketing power prices.
“Many South Australians are in deep water when it comes to cost of living pressures. Instead of spending $55 million on a waterslide, ‘Poolside Pete’ should provide broad cost of living relief to help hardworking families breathe a little easier.”