Minister Emerson must detail how unit pricing will save households $96 a year

December 3, 2009

Minister Craig Emerson must explain to the Australian people how unit pricing will save them $96 a year, Shadow Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs Luke Hartsuyker said today.

Mr Hartsuyker was commenting following the Minister’s claim that households will save “on average at least $96 a year” after unit pricing became mandatory on December 1.   “This looks very much like more Labor spin on a cost of living issue,” Mr Hartsuyker said.  "The Minister must detail where the savings will come from and how he has arrived at $96 for the average household.

“If he can’t provide a credible response then we know it’s just another Kevin Rudd cost of living fraud.  Over the past two years the Rudd Government’s fascination with symbolic gestures and media spin has overshadowed their inability to drive down the cost of fuel and groceries.

“The Petrol Commissioner, who is costing taxpayers $400,000 per year, originally promised to reduce fuel prices by five cents a litre under the government’s fraudulent FuelWatch scheme. That saving was reduced to two cents litre before eventually the government was forced to admit there would be no saving at all.

“FuelWatch was eventually exposed as a hoax and could have actually increased the cost of fuel for most motorists.  It was followed by the farcical GroceryWatch website which Minister Emerson acknowledged as such when he shut it down earlier this year.   It does now appear, however, that Minister Emerson has finally succumbed to Kevin Rudd’s addiction to spin.  Instead of just spinning a headline, the Minister must be honest with Australians and explain how they are going to be $96 better off because of unit pricing.

“The government is already playing with household budgets by putting upward pressure on prices through their new federal awards and Kevin Rudd’s proposed Emission Trading Scheme.  Unless the Minister can justify his claim, this $96 figure appears to be nothing other than more hollow rhetoric,” Mr Hartsuyker said.