FEDERAL Member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, and Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Dan Tehan, said shocking new data has revealed the impact the Albanese Labor Government’s disastrous energy policies are having on families in the Parkes electorate.

According to the Australian Energy Regulator, more than 70,000 families in New South Wales were unable to pay their power bills during October-December last year.

Mr Chaffey said, since Labor was elected in 2022, nearly 73,000 households have recorded hardship, a 106 per cent increase from when the Coalition was in office.

Nationally, 230,000 households are in energy distress – up by nearly 70 per cent in just 3.5 years, the highest level of hardship on record.

Mr Chaffey said the energy crisis was heaping pressure on local households.

“It is heartbreaking to hear of the impact rising power bills, together with inflation, climbing interest rates and the fuel crisis, is having on families in the Parkes electorate. Many are at breaking point,” Mr Chaffey said.

“Behind this new data are people in our community who are really struggling to make ends meet, yet all they get from the federal government are broken promises.

“I’ll keep fighting for a more stable, reliable energy grid that puts the needs of Australians first, not one-size-fits-all mandates and targets that we can’t practically achieve,” he said.

Minister Tehan said the federal government’s energy policies have failed to deliver affordable energy.

“Under Labor, power bills are up nearly 40 per cent because the government has chosen to rip the guts out of our energy system,” Mr Tehan said.

“A lack of baseload power and sufficient supply is pushing up prices, and that is showing up as higher prices every time Australians open their power bill.

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to cut power bills by $275 but Australian households have not seen that promised reduction.”