However, when in Opposition, the Liberal Party agreed to a four-year price freeze in laws that allowed the break-up of Western Power into four separate businesses.
Premier Colin Barnett has been forced into a backflip over claims that Labor's break-up of the old Western Power had pushed up energy bills, conceding it was not to blame for a series of massive price increases.
A report by the State's economic watchdog last week dismissed any notion the four-way carve-up of Western Power in 2006 had contributed to electricity price increases over the past three years.The Economic Regulation Authority said the claim, which has been touted by the Government as a driver of tariff increases, was wrong and prices would have needed to rise regardless of the split.
"The authority considers that the 57 per cent increase in electricity tariffs in recent years was inevitable, regardless of how the disaggregation of the old Western Power was structured. That is, regardless of whether Verve Energy and Synergy remained as a single government trading entity," it said in its report.
Mr Barnett and Energy Minister Peter Collier have repeatedly blamed the previous government's decision to split the monopoly electricity provider to justify massive price rises since 2008.
Faced with questions over the ERA's finding, Mr Barnett acknowledged the carve-up process had not played a big part in price increases of 57 per cent since in 2008.
Instead, Mr Barnett pointed the finger at the previous government's decision to freeze tariffs, saying it had saddled the energy utilities and taxpayers with almost $1 billion of extra debt.
However, when in Opposition, the Liberal Party agreed to a four-year price freeze in laws that allowed the break-up of Western Power into four separate businesses.
Mr Barnett also vowed to push ahead with his widely publicised plan to reunite electricity generator Verve with retailer Synergy, claiming there were "gross inefficiencies" in the current market.
Shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt said Mr Barnett was becoming "increasingly erratic over major policy areas" and suggested he was more interested in attacking Labor than good policy.
Mr Wyatt was also scathing of the Premier's plan to reunite Verve and Synergy, saying it would be a costly disaster.
"This bloody-minded obstinacy is looming as a threat, not only to the energy sector but also to the overall finances of the State," he said.
