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.