Overwhelming backing for royal commission into energy sector in Your Say, SA survey

OVERWHELMING public support for a royal commission into the energy sector is revealed in the influential Your Say, SA survey, which shows making electricity cheaper and more reliable is deemed the biggest issue facing the state.

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OVERWHELMING public support for a royal commission into the energy sector is revealed in the influential Your Say, SA survey, which shows respondents believe cheaper and more reliable electricity is the biggest issue facing South Australia.

In a result that will intensify pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call a major public inquiry, 82 per cent of 4341 respondents to the annual Sunday Mail survey backed a royal commission into the electricity and gas sector, agreeing that power consumers, who have been hit by ongoing price rises, were being ripped off.

More than 60 per cent declared that power supply and prices are one of the biggest issues facing the state, ahead of jobs and job security on 52 per cent and cost of living on 43 per cent.

Power supply and pricing were also deemed the state’s biggest issue in last year’s Your Say, SA survey, suggesting respondents are frustrated by the pace and impact of measures to reduce the burden on households and businesses.

Responding to the survey results, Mr Morrison told The Advertiser he was “not afraid to use a big stick on the big energy companies to stop the big rip-offs and will be making new laws to do just that”.

“We are acting now. And where we need to do more, we will,” the Prime Minister said.

This indicates Mr Morrison remains open to a royal commission, as he declared early last month, but is banking on increased market monitoring and hefty legal powers handed to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to rein in energy companies.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said people were attracted to a royal commission because they felt rorted and ripped off by energy giants, while the Coalition Government had only politely asked them to keep prices down.

Premier Steven Marshall said he fully understood the need and urgency to bring down the state’s “sky-high electricity prices”, while state Labor Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said people had embraced renewable energy because it led to cheaper, more reliable power.

Other major Your Say, SA results include:

AFFORDABLE power was considered the most important component of electricity supply, narrowly ahead of reliability, then followed by developing the renewable energy industry and, lastly, reducing carbon emissions.

STRONG support for renewable energy, with more than two-thirds support for more wind farms and 86 per cent backing for more solar farm investment.

A SLIM majority was opposed to a major future role for coal but 48 per cent declared it a key part of our energy mix.

In a likely rehearsal of a campaign attack at a federal election expected within months, Mr Morrison said electricity prices had started to turn a corner.

But he declared: “There’s absolutely more to do to deliver fair dinkum power that’s reliable, while also tapping into SA’s solar and wind resources and building on our investments, like the solar thermal plant at Port Augusta.

“When South Australians go to the polls, they’ll have a choice between more affordable and reliable power under our Liberal-led Government, or paying more for their electricity under Bill Shorten and Labor.”

Mr Shorten repeated his demand that energy companies explain why a royal commission was unwarranted and blamed five years of federal Liberal policy chaos for soaring energy costs.

“Labor will deliver policy certainty and invest in renewables because they will lead to more jobs, a better environment and, critically, cheaper power bills,” he told The Advertiser.

Mr Marshall said he fully understood the need for and the urgency of bringing down South Australia’s “sky-high electricity prices”. “The State Liberal Government is committed to cleaning up the mess of high prices and poor reliability left by the Labor Party,” he said.

“Our strategic investments in a world-leading home battery storage scheme, grid-scale storage and an interconnector to New South Wales will bring the price of power down for all South Australian households.”

Mr Malinauskas said people had embraced renewable energy as a future industry, which created jobs and forged a path to cheaper, cleaner and more reliable power. “The Tesla battery at Jamestown is a great example of South Australia’s global leadership in renewable energy. The battery has been hailed by experts as a success,” he said.