Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt is calling for urgent price relief, an investment into nuclear and immediate commitment to assisting gas exploration and extraction after strong support from constituents in recent survey.

Mr Pitt said 85 percent of respondents to Hinkler’s Biggest Survey want affordable and reliable electricity.

“People want to know that when they go to turn on their lights or put the oven on to cook dinner that it works. They also want to know they’ll be able to afford the power bill that comes in each month or quarter,” Mr Pitt said.

“Queensland has been hit hard with inflationary pressures and recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed a 32.5 percent increase in electricity prices in Brisbane in the March quarter.

“I don’t know anyone who’s power bill has gone down lately and if it has, what have they sacrificed for that to happen?

“The Prime Minister and Treasurer need to guarantee that electricity prices will be affordable and reliable into the future.”

Mr Pitt said 73 percent of Hinkler’s Biggest Survey respondents were supportive of new nuclear energy, for example, small modular reactors, being part of Australia’s future energy mix.

“Along with Senator McGrath I called for a parliamentary committee investigation into nuclear energy in 2019.

“Unfortunately, Labor continues to run a scare campaign about nuclear energy, but the fact that we will have nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS agreement, means that we will have a nuclear industry in Australia.

“Why aren’t we doing more to get this industry established now? What investment is the Albanese Government making to see this come to fruition?”

Mr Pitt said survey respondents are also supportive of extracting more gas for use in Australia – 65 percent – and 64 percent of respondents are supportive of new coal-fired power stations. 

“It’s thanks to the increased revenue from the resources sector that the Treasurer is in a much stronger position so supporting the sector to invest in exploration and extraction can in turn now assist taxpayers further.

“But instead of investing in energy sources that work, the Albanese Government are offering $2,000 subsidies for electric vehicles, fringe benefits tax exemptions for fleets and novated leases, as well as subsidies for renewable energy projects.

“Would these wind farms and solar farms even be built without the generous taxpayer funded subsidies?

“Electric vehicles are so far out of reach for the average Hinkler resident it just shows how far out of touch the Albanese Government is.”