Peter Dutton savages Labor government for breaking public trust over energy price ‘promise’

Peter Dutton has joined the chorus of Australians disappointed by the federal budget, saying the government has broken their trust.

Opposition Lader Peter Dutton says it is understandable there is a “rising level of anger” that Labor did not deliver on an election promise to reduce energy prices.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ first Labor budget in almost a decade on Tuesday night offered a grim outlook on rising of cost of living pressures.

Speaking on 2GB radio station on Thursday, Mr Dutton said the Labor Party failed to follow through on an election promise to reduce energy prices by $275.

“(Anthony Albanese) made the promise on 97 occasions and looked the Australian public in the eye before the election and said your bills will go down by $275,” Mr Dutton said.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called out the Labor government for failing to act on soaring energy prices. Picture: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

“They made a commitment and I think when you break the trust and faith of people, I think people are disappointed at best.

“There is a level of rising anger and dismay with some of the decisions made by this government.”

Despite the 2025 deadline Labor set to fulfil the promise being three years away, Mr Dutton called the plan a “pipe dream”.

“This government wants you to believe that if they just keep pumping renewables in the system that all will be OK in a few years,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton called the government’s plan to roll out 28,000km of poles and wires a ‘pipe dream’. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

He pointed to the government’s $20bn plan to”rewire the nation” by accelerating new electricity transmission links between states as the east coast power grid moves to transition away from coal power.

Modelling by consultancy firm RepuTex suggests the plan will lift renewable energy generation from 35 per cent to 82 per cent by 2030.

“They’ve got 28,000km of poles and wires to roll out across the country to try and distribute this renewable energy,” Mr Dutton said.

“It’s never going to happen, it’s a complete and utter pipe dream.”

Mr Dutton also claimed the government failed to address soaring gas prices in its first budget by opposing the approval of new gas fields.

“They are opposed to new gas fields and new gas coming online,” Mr Dutton said.

“This government had a chance in the budget to address that to put a plan in place.

“All they've done is added to the pain.”

Originally published as Peter Dutton savages Labor government for breaking public trust over energy price ‘promise’