Double dipper: Billionaires will be able to claim multiple $300 energy rebates if they own more than one home

In a grilling by Karl Stefanovic, the PM was asked about the budget’s $300 energy rebate. Now, news.com.au can reveal the truth.

Millionaires and billionaires who own more than one home will be able to claim more than one $300 energy rebate as long as the electricity bill is in their name.

News.com.au has confirmed that as long as your name is on the bill you can claim multiple rounds of the $300 energy rebate because it is paid to every household.

But if you own an investment property and the electricity bill is in the name of the tenant, the $300 rebate will be rebated to the energy bill of whoever’s name the bill is under.

Anthony Albanese has ruled out means testing the $300 energy rebate despite conceding that means billionaire Gina Rinehart could get it for her $34 million beach house in Noosa.

The Prime Minister and Treasurer have been under the pump this morning to explain why the government chose to give the handout to every Australian regardless of income.

The reason is that energy companies that will administer the rebate don’t know the incomes of their customers and the compliance cost of making the payment based on income would be too complex.

Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman Gina Rinehart was name-checked by Stefanovic in an interview with Anthony Albanese. Picture: Supplied

Speaking on the Today show, host Karl Stefanovic asked the Prime Minister if that was fair.

“How do you explain how Jenny from the block in Yorkeys knob gets the same power rebate as Gina from Noosa?,’’ he said.

“Well, I’m not aware of who Jenny and Gina are,’’ the Prime Minister replied.

“But I’m sure they’re fine Australians. And you know what? They deserve support. I’m sure they are taxpayers.”

“And they’ll get a tax cut. And householders, so they’ll get an energy bill relief. We want to make sure that every Australian gets support during what is a cost of living pressure, which everyone is feeling.”

Rinehart bought her luxury mansion at Noosa in Queensland reportedly for $34 million. If the energy bill is in her name, she’ll get the $300 rebate.

Stefanovic then offered to explain who he was referring to in the analogy.

“So let me spell it out for you, Gina, as Gina Rinehart, does she need help with the power bill,’’ Stefanovic said.

“Well, Gina Rinehart is, close to some people in politics. Of course, in this building, as you know, Karl, I haven’t met Gina,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“But, what we have done is make sure that every single Australian gets support, but does.”

“Gina, if she pays income tax, will also get a tax cut, as will every Australian, every single one of your viewers will get a tax cut on July 1st.

“And that is, because, right, throughout the income scales, there are pressures on.

“But as well we’ve got targeted support. Karl.”

Anthony Albanese defended the energy rebate saying it was the most effective way to deliver relief for Australians. Picture: Today Show

The mining magnate’s Noosa home also has a pool and expansive gardens

Multiple homes, multiple rebates

“All right. Well, we’ll leave the argument about Gina for another day, but does someone who has multiple homes get multiple discounts if they’re with multiple power companies?,” Stefanovic asked.

“Well, this is a household bill relief of $300 for every household, every household gets it,’’ the Prime Minister replied.

“So if you’ve got a if you’ve got a whole if you’ve got a holiday house or you’ve got a rental, you get it at each household?”

Stefanovic said that was “not going to sit well with some people that, old maid up the road, or let’s raise Gina again, has got maybe ten houses, so she gets ten lots of it.”

Rinehart’s record-breaking historic home on the Brisbane River, which she paid $14 million for in 2014. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The Noosa house boasts panaromic views

“Karl, I remember talking with a few people about our tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer at this stage in the cycle,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“But what we’ve done, Karl, is deliver a second budget surplus. So we’ve been responsible in the way that we have acted here, something that you recall the other side having having mugs, treating people like mugs. Frankly because they never got a budget surplus. “

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the budget will help to decrease inflation, while defending the $300 energy bill rebate for all Australians.

Karl Stefanovic told the Prime Minister it was not going to sit well with some people. Picture: Today Show

Jim Chalmers defends $300 handout

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been slammed for delivering extra money for baby boomers and “people who have won the housing lottery” by handing out the same energy rebate to billionaires and the broke.

Dr Chalmers has confirmed a rebate of $300 for every Aussie household from July 1.

The $300 credit for all Australians will be paid regardless of whether you are a billionaire or a low income family.

During a testy interview on the ABC’s 7:30 program on Tuesday night, host Sarah Ferguson repeatedly challenged the Treasurer on whether this was a good idea.

Denying he was “spraying around cash”, the Treasurer said the impact of cost of living pressure was hurting everyone.

But the ABC host wasn’t having a bar of it and she accused him of failing to answer the question.

“You talked about middle Australia but there’s a whole bunch of people who aren’t in middle Australia, like yourself, who don’t need help paying their bills,’’ she said.

“Why do you need to give energy relief to those people?”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said what it would do was put downward pressure on inflation and as a result interest rates.

“First of all, I think these cost of living pressures go up and down the income scale,’’ he said.

But before he could continue, the ABC host jumped in to take issue with his claim.

“Yes, they fall disproportionately on the people on the lowest incomes and fixed incomes and they are obviously our priority,’’ she said.

“But I think people are under the pump right around Australia,’’ the Treasurer replied.

Ferguson then asked if he would “acknowledge there are people who are not under the pump.”

“We hear about a lot of baby boomers, those people who’ve won the housing lottery and so on,’’ she said.

“Why are those people going to get $300 in their pocket?”

Dr Chalmers said his answer was that cost of living pressures are applying “pretty broadly in our community.”

“The simplest way to deliver this cost of living relief is via energy bills,’’ he said.

“And once you go beyond providing it to people who are on pensions and payments who are our priority in the last budget, once you go beyond that it makes sense to go broadly.

Liberal Party reacts to $300 rebate

Speaking on the ABC, Opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor was challenged on whether the Coalition will back the rebate.

Mr Taylor said the Coalition would not stand in the way.

“Sure,’’ he said.

“(But) you should be dealing with the source of the problem when inflation is raging.

“The government isn’t because it’s a political, big spending budget, designed for an election for an inflationary cost of living crisis.

“Now, when all you’ve got is a band aid to put on the bullet wound, that’s what you do.

“And that’s what, that’s all that labour is offering here.”

Originally published as Double dipper: Billionaires will be able to claim multiple $300 energy rebates if they own more than one home