Ann: August Operational Update, page-48

Selling cheap power directly to consumers and saying you take action as a Govt against exorbitant power costs is an election sweetener in any language. Doing such a deal with a retailer that only sells to tower blocks isn't the impetus to accumulate votes.

Here's the article in question >

Spoiler

Queensland power retailer says deals hurting his business and consumers
Steven Wardill, Sarah Vogler, The Courier-Mail
October 24, 2017 1:00am

A QUEENSLAND electricity retailer has accused the Palaszczuk Government of harming his home-grown business and costing households cut-priced deals on their power bills.

Ben Chester, who co-owns Locality Planning Energy, told The Courier-Mail that Labor’s energy market manipulation would be considered criminal if it occurred in the finance sector.
Mr Chester revealed he had been left off the invite list of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s meeting on Tuesday with retailers while his requests for an audience with the Premier and Energy Minister Mark Bailey had been ignored for two years.
“I am a Queensland retailer and never got a seat at the table, I never got invited,” he said.
Mr Chester said while Labor was selling cut-price power to West Australian retailer Alinta, his Sunshine Coast-based business that employs 30 people couldn’t get the same deal.
“It does affect my ability to offer the best price for consumers because I have to buy at market rates at about $90 a megawatt,” he said. “Our best estimation is that Alinta are buying it for about $60 a megawatt.”
Mr Chester said other retailers could match Alinta’s 25 per cent discount offer if the Premier ordered state-owned generators to sell them cut-priced power.
“But if she gives us the power at the same price she is selling to Alinta she won’t have the dividends and won’t be able to try and make herself look good by giving some of this money back,” he said.
Mr Chester said the Government’s market manipulation would be considered criminal in other sectors and would drive away competition and cost consumers.
“But we have nowhere to go,” he said. “I built this business in Queensland for Queenslanders.”
Mr Chester’s comments came after Ms Palaszczuk again refused to detail the cuts required under Labor’s plan to divert energy company dividends into a new suite of power subsidies.
“We have royalties, we have a range of measures, we have got a surplus for our Budget,” she said. “It will all be discussed at future dates.”
The package includes a $50-a-year discount for two years and a new rebate scheme for energy-efficient appliances.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said the Government was desperately trying to splash cash after profiting from high prices.
“The kicker in all of this is that Queenslanders’ power bills will still go up under this sham of a plan.”

So yeah... it's a sticky wicket for LPE at present.