The recent power outages across the metro area and holiday towns, which has left thousands without power is a fitting end to the year of WA Labor failures.
With temperatures on Christmas and Boxing Day reaching above 40 degrees, basic services such as air conditioning and fridges were absent during the record-breaking holiday temperatures, and the consecutive sweltering days that have followed.
Leader of the WA Liberals and Shadow Minister for Energy, Dr David Honey, said the Labor Government should have been more prepared for this time of the year including as part of their WA Covid Roadmap transition plan.
“We’ve seen 50-year record temperatures being beaten and thousands of homes left without even air conditioning. My question is: Is this a repeat of last year and what is WA Labor’s plan to prevent this from happening in the future?
“We’ve had mass power blackouts for thousands of people across 57 suburbs and multiple holidaying towns, posing a real danger and health risk.
“Labor Energy Minister Bill Johnston has been completely silent until forced into a 6PR radio interview and still has completely failed to offer any alternative explanation, plan or solution.
“Earlier in the year, Minister Johnston said, including in Parliament, that his WA Labor Government had fully planned for the season. So, lights, fridge’s and aircon shouldn’t be going out anywhere.
“This is another Labor broken promise just like for our hospitals, ambulances, the homeless and teachers. Currently, there are still 57 suburbs without power and several country holiday towns with some of these suburbs and towns without power since Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
“It’s just not good enough for Minister Johnson and WA Labor to be shirking their responsibility with excuses by trying to blame the ERA and the previous Liberal government. It’s now five years and two elections under Labor and with their massive surplus and record double majority in Government they can fix whatever they want whenever they want.
“We are seeing under-investment in standby generators, infrastructure and maintenance, leaving us with power shortages all around WA.”
So far, the only compensation being provided for people who have been without power for days in some cases, has been an $80 payment for food spoilage.
“$80 dollars for food spoilage is abysmal and inadequate for the people who have suffered through this heat especially those with refrigerated medicines and needing power for their lifesaving dialysis, oxygen generators and other specialist at-home medical devices.
“There should have been proper prior investment in standby generators to keep the lights, fridges and aircon on in larger suburban clusters and in towns in an event such as this.
“Labor uses their economic surplus as a boasting tool instead of properly investing in key infrastructure and upgrades to prevent power outages,” said Dr Honey.
