Australian businessman Dick Smith has urged other millionaires to donate their $300 energy rebate to charity after the Albanese government announced the payment for all households.
Even Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, whose net worth is estimated at $46 billion, will receive $300 off her energy bills over the next financial year.
Current Affair host Allison Langdon took aim at the politics of the federal budget on Wednesday night and urged other well-off Australians to follow her lead and donate the extra money to charity.
‘For many [the payment] will put food on the table, help with the bills. For others, it’s a small change,” he said.
‘Let’s try the $300 energy rebate ourselves. If you don’t need it, donate it.”
Allison Langdon (pictured) has pledged to donate $300 to charity after it was announced that all households in Australia, even those where the richest live, will receive $300 off their energy bills.
Smith, whose net worth is around $60 million, appeared on the show to officially join the show’s ‘300 Campaign’ by pledging his payback.
‘Not all of us need that money. “There are millions of Australians doing well,” Mr Smith said.
“I’m going to give my $300 to the Salvation Army and ask everyone, if they’re rich, to do the same… That means the money won’t go to waste.”
Smith singled out Meriton billionaire Harry Triguboff to join the cause.
‘If you can’t give a billion dollars, why don’t you just give $300? It’ll make you feel good, buddy,” she said.
Dick Smith (pictured) pledged to donate his $300 refund to the Salvation Army and urged other “well-off” Australians to do the same.
OzHarvest founder Ronni Khan is set to take away the $300 rebate from wealthy Australians to help give food to those who need it most.
If 1,000 people donated their $300 refund to the charity, OzHarvest could deliver 1.2 million more meals to Australians struggling to put food on the table.
“That’s incredible… I’m sure people will rise to the occasion,” Ms Khan said on the programme.
Australian households will not receive the $300 in cash, but will come in the form of $75 discounts on their energy bill each quarter.
While the relief will be a much-needed respite for many, experts fear it will only fuel skyrocketing inflation.
The move has also perplexed wealthy Australians who have been left wondering why they are being offered extra money when they don’t need it.
Australian voters criticized Dr Chalmers (left) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) for giving the rebate to “rich” Australians who don’t need it.
“A flat $300 energy aid payment is a lazy and reckless policy,” wrote one online voter.
“Wealthy Australians don’t need it, and many struggling Australians need much more.”
Another said: ‘I don’t need $300 off my energy bills. People on Centrelink need enough money to live.
‘Why is everyone getting a $300 energy rebate?’ There are some people who are really struggling right now, there are others who are doing well.
“Why throw money at those whose spending has not decreased, when others are choosing between food and heat?”
An angry Australian called the Prime Minister directly and told him the money would have been better spent helping solve the housing crisis.
‘Hi Anthony Albanese, thanks for saving $300 on my energy bill. The only problem is I don’t have a damn energy bill because I can’t afford to live anywhere,” they said.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie (pictured) has launched a furious attack on the government’s energy rebate given to all Australian households regardless of their income.
Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie criticized the Budget’s cash spending, particularly the lack of means testing for the $300 energy bill rebate.
“I’m not comfortable with people like me and the super-rich getting a $4,500 tax cut,” she told ABC’s Insiders on Tuesday night, shortly after the Budget.
‘All you poor people, I’ll tell you what, and we’re getting the $300, not a means test?’ Are we back in the days of Covid? We’re just throwing money away, left, right and center.
‘You’re too lazy to do some means testing. We don’t need $300. I can assure you.’
About 10 million households are expected to receive the rebate, while one million small businesses will get $325 off their bills.
The energy rebate, announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday night, will take effect July 1.