Minister for Energy, Guy Barnett, has today acknowledged that he reported incorrect data when he claimed that energy debt in Tasmania ‘has nearly halved’ in Budget Estimates earlier this week. 

Minister for Energy, Hon Guy Barnett MP, has repeated several misleading claims in Budget Estimates hearings that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the severe impact that skyrocketing electricity prices are having on Tasmanian household budgets and energy debt.

Read TasCOSS and the network of community services industry peaks Budget responses.

While the Government has openly acknowledged this was going to be a tough Budget, even in challenging economic times, the goal of every budget must be to ensure all Tasmanians can afford the basics. However, this Budget fails to do this.

On Tuesday 9 May 2023, the Treasurer, the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, handed down the latest Federal Budget. Read TasCOSS’s reaction and responses from across the community services industry.

Homelessness data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday should serve as a wake-up call for the Tasmanian Government.

Tasmanian households have amassed $13.6 million of household energy debt as a $33 million allocation for energy bill relief sits in government coffers.

TasCOSS welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s $33 million commitment towards energy bill relief, but is calling for the funds to be immediately released as new figures reveal the number of Tasmanians in energy debt has doubled in the past year.