Mr ELFERINK - 1999-08-18
Last night in this Chamber the Leader of the Opposition raised concerns about power charges in remote Northern Territory communities, a matter that I take quite seriously. Specifically, the Opposition Leader detailed PAWA charges for these remote customers. I ask the minister if the figures provided to this House by the Opposition Leader are correct. Or, once again, has she simply attempted to mislead Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I was saddened last night to see the race card played in this House. I did attempt to come down and set the record straight in adjournment. I’m glad of the opportunity to do so this morning. The Opposition Leader said last night:
Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak on an issue raised with me by constituents living in more remote parts of the Territory this evening. Specifically, I want to talk about the way this unfair CLP government treats its remote-area Aboriginal customers of the Power and Water Authority.
Why, I ask, would the opposition make a distinction between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal customers when the Power and Water Authority treats them in exactly the same way right across the Territory? I quote again from the Leader of the Opposition:
Customers in remote Aboriginal communities who choose to use [and I say that again - choose to use] card meters as a way of accessing electricity are being charged up to 20% more for their electricity than residents who access ordinary domestic supply.
The Opposition Leader has answered her own question. This is a decision made in the communities. It is a decision made through Power and Water Authority people visiting the communities, talking and consulting with the communities about the appropriateness of styles of metering to see which they would prefer, and communities choosing to take up pre-payment meters.
I point out that this is not something unique to Aboriginal communities. There are people in urban settings who also choose to use pre-payment meters. I was a bit disappointed that this was treated as a shabby race issue and the Power and Water Authority was pilloried in such a fashion in this House. I quote again:
Constituents in these communities inform me that power card meters that were installed in their communities charge at a rate of 16 per unit compared to 12.9 for normal domestic consumers.
The Opposition Leader is correct in this particular aspect. I’m pleased with that because it’s probably the only little light that shines through in this sorry saga. Yes indeed, pre-payment meters are charged at 16 per kW/h per unit. But she has been mischievous - which should come as a surprise to nobody - because she did not provide all the information. Under the new electricity tariffs which came into effect from 1 April this year, there are two choices for standard domestic users - a standard meter or a pre-paid one. For those who choose the former, the charge is 12.9 per kW/h and, in addition, a fixed daily charge of 25.41. For those who choose a pre-payment meter, the charge is 16 and there is no daily charge. The choice is available to all Territorians, I reiterate, whether you’re in Milingimbi or Malak. So the claim that Aboriginal Territorians cannot access 12.9 per kW/h power is a lie.
I quote again from the Leader of the Opposition:
This outrageous situation occurs despite the fact that this Country Liberal Party government is funded five times per capita by the Commonwealth government to provide services to remote communities.
The cost to generate and provide power to remote communities is assessed, conservatively, at between 50 and 60 per kW/h. So even at 16 per kW/h, the Northern Territory government is generously subsidising those people who have difficulty in accessing power through their remote generating stations. It is already heavily subsidised.
I quote from the Leader of the Opposition again:
Given this extraordinary fact, there is no excuse for this unfair government to charge these increased rates.
These are not increased rates. The tariff sheet applies right across the Territory to all Territorians.
I quote again:
Now, if that wasn’t bad enough, ripping off the poorest and most disadvantaged consumers of electricity in the Territory, this government is also ripping off the community organisations working with Aboriginal residents ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: You know this. You set her up, didn’t you? You set her up, mate. I will come to that later.
... living in these remote parts. Community organisations are being charged commercial rates for power supplied to such essential ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: If you listen you’ll understand. It’s becoming very difficult for you to get this into your head.
… community infrastructure as a basketball court, a public toilet block, community meeting rooms and the like. These are public facilities not in any way used for commercial activities, yet this government charges commercial rates for them, and ‘commercial’ indicates having profit as a primary aim.
As I pointed out to the House, there are only two charges, domestic and non-domestic. Now, the non-domestic category is often referred to as ‘commercial and other’, but the more correct terminology is non-domestic or general-purpose. Why, then, does the Opposition Leader make a distinction between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians; between one remote organisation and another? The fact is simple. Domestic and non-domestic charges differ to the same degree whether you are in Parap or Papunya. Is she saying other organisations providing community infrastructure, to use her terminology, like the Kalymnian Brotherhood premises or those of other organisations at Marrara, the Alawa Community Hall, the Alice Springs Scout Hall, the Showgrounds at Katherine, all should be charged for power at the domestic-use rate? The fact is, the non-domestic charge was reduced on 1 April 1999 to 15.5 per kW/h. It has taken the Northern Territory from second-highest to third highest – a fact that has been pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition in this House at least during these sittings.
I have a letter here from the shadow for the Power and Water Authority, canvassing pretty much the same issues that were raised last night. I wonder whether the member for Nhulunbuy actually flicked this to the Leader of the Opposition as an easy kick during adjournment when nobody was listening, to have a go at the government and play the race card. I can say that I will sign a letter to the Leader for Opposition and have it to her by the end of Question Time. It covers all the issues I have now put on the public record.
I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that her continual questioning of Power and Water requires a little bit more than just some glib and trite questions. We have already heard the Leader of the Opposition stand up in this parliament and talk about her radical policy of reducing electricity tariffs while not changing Power and Water, and other bizarre notions like her actually achieving government. It’s the sort of stuff we’ve come to expect. I suspect that in the next few sittings we will hear about how the Labor Party will achieve world peace, find a cure for cancer and patch up the ozone holes. Instead of trotting out notions in some trite way, they should be giving a little more attention to research.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I was saddened last night to see the race card played in this House. I did attempt to come down and set the record straight in adjournment. I’m glad of the opportunity to do so this morning. The Opposition Leader said last night:
Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak on an issue raised with me by constituents living in more remote parts of the Territory this evening. Specifically, I want to talk about the way this unfair CLP government treats its remote-area Aboriginal customers of the Power and Water Authority.
Why, I ask, would the opposition make a distinction between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal customers when the Power and Water Authority treats them in exactly the same way right across the Territory? I quote again from the Leader of the Opposition:
Customers in remote Aboriginal communities who choose to use [and I say that again - choose to use] card meters as a way of accessing electricity are being charged up to 20% more for their electricity than residents who access ordinary domestic supply.
The Opposition Leader has answered her own question. This is a decision made in the communities. It is a decision made through Power and Water Authority people visiting the communities, talking and consulting with the communities about the appropriateness of styles of metering to see which they would prefer, and communities choosing to take up pre-payment meters.
I point out that this is not something unique to Aboriginal communities. There are people in urban settings who also choose to use pre-payment meters. I was a bit disappointed that this was treated as a shabby race issue and the Power and Water Authority was pilloried in such a fashion in this House. I quote again:
Constituents in these communities inform me that power card meters that were installed in their communities charge at a rate of 16 per unit compared to 12.9 for normal domestic consumers.
The Opposition Leader is correct in this particular aspect. I’m pleased with that because it’s probably the only little light that shines through in this sorry saga. Yes indeed, pre-payment meters are charged at 16 per kW/h per unit. But she has been mischievous - which should come as a surprise to nobody - because she did not provide all the information. Under the new electricity tariffs which came into effect from 1 April this year, there are two choices for standard domestic users - a standard meter or a pre-paid one. For those who choose the former, the charge is 12.9 per kW/h and, in addition, a fixed daily charge of 25.41. For those who choose a pre-payment meter, the charge is 16 and there is no daily charge. The choice is available to all Territorians, I reiterate, whether you’re in Milingimbi or Malak. So the claim that Aboriginal Territorians cannot access 12.9 per kW/h power is a lie.
I quote again from the Leader of the Opposition:
This outrageous situation occurs despite the fact that this Country Liberal Party government is funded five times per capita by the Commonwealth government to provide services to remote communities.
The cost to generate and provide power to remote communities is assessed, conservatively, at between 50 and 60 per kW/h. So even at 16 per kW/h, the Northern Territory government is generously subsidising those people who have difficulty in accessing power through their remote generating stations. It is already heavily subsidised.
I quote from the Leader of the Opposition again:
Given this extraordinary fact, there is no excuse for this unfair government to charge these increased rates.
These are not increased rates. The tariff sheet applies right across the Territory to all Territorians.
I quote again:
Now, if that wasn’t bad enough, ripping off the poorest and most disadvantaged consumers of electricity in the Territory, this government is also ripping off the community organisations working with Aboriginal residents ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: You know this. You set her up, didn’t you? You set her up, mate. I will come to that later.
... living in these remote parts. Community organisations are being charged commercial rates for power supplied to such essential ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr DUNHAM: If you listen you’ll understand. It’s becoming very difficult for you to get this into your head.
… community infrastructure as a basketball court, a public toilet block, community meeting rooms and the like. These are public facilities not in any way used for commercial activities, yet this government charges commercial rates for them, and ‘commercial’ indicates having profit as a primary aim.
As I pointed out to the House, there are only two charges, domestic and non-domestic. Now, the non-domestic category is often referred to as ‘commercial and other’, but the more correct terminology is non-domestic or general-purpose. Why, then, does the Opposition Leader make a distinction between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Territorians; between one remote organisation and another? The fact is simple. Domestic and non-domestic charges differ to the same degree whether you are in Parap or Papunya. Is she saying other organisations providing community infrastructure, to use her terminology, like the Kalymnian Brotherhood premises or those of other organisations at Marrara, the Alawa Community Hall, the Alice Springs Scout Hall, the Showgrounds at Katherine, all should be charged for power at the domestic-use rate? The fact is, the non-domestic charge was reduced on 1 April 1999 to 15.5 per kW/h. It has taken the Northern Territory from second-highest to third highest – a fact that has been pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition in this House at least during these sittings.
I have a letter here from the shadow for the Power and Water Authority, canvassing pretty much the same issues that were raised last night. I wonder whether the member for Nhulunbuy actually flicked this to the Leader of the Opposition as an easy kick during adjournment when nobody was listening, to have a go at the government and play the race card. I can say that I will sign a letter to the Leader for Opposition and have it to her by the end of Question Time. It covers all the issues I have now put on the public record.
I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that her continual questioning of Power and Water requires a little bit more than just some glib and trite questions. We have already heard the Leader of the Opposition stand up in this parliament and talk about her radical policy of reducing electricity tariffs while not changing Power and Water, and other bizarre notions like her actually achieving government. It’s the sort of stuff we’ve come to expect. I suspect that in the next few sittings we will hear about how the Labor Party will achieve world peace, find a cure for cancer and patch up the ozone holes. Instead of trotting out notions in some trite way, they should be giving a little more attention to research.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016