Price rise release questioned
Queensland's Energy Minister has questioned whether Scott Morrison was involved in delaying release of new energy prices.
An amendment made under the previous federal government prevented the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) from notifying the public of the new increased electricity prices before the most recent election.
At the time, then-PM Scott Morrison repeatedly stated electricity prices would skyrocket under Labor if they won at the federal election.
In March 2022, Energy Minister Angus Taylor obtained the approval of the Governor-General to amend the regulations so that the AER's normal proclamation was not published before the nation went to the polls.
Mr Taylor did not issue a media release or make any other public announcement about the amendment at the time.
Mr Taylor signed the amendment on behalf of the treasurer, but because of Scott Morrison’s internal powergrab, it is unclear who played the treasurer's role at the time.
Mr Morrison was secretly sworn in as a second treasurer, without the knowledge of then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and was also a secret second energy minister too.
Queensland's Energy Minister Mick De Brenni says it is “perhaps one of the biggest election deceptions that this nation may have ever seen”.
“Whilst Scott Morrison was asking the Governor-General to make him the minister for everything, Australia's industry and energy minister Angus Taylor was signing new regulations to hide electricity price increases until after the election day,” he said.
“What we know, is that we can't even be sure who the treasurer or industry and energy minister was.”