[Greens-Media] Iemma's power sell-off push poll is waste of public money

[John Kaye]

Iemma's power sell-off push poll is waste of public money
 
Media release: 18 February 2008
 
The Greens have received complaints that the NSW government has resorted to unethical and prejudiced opinion surveying to mask public opposition to electricity privatisation, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye
 
Dr Kaye said: "A number of people have contacted me after being cold-called by market researchers asking biased and loaded questions about attitudes to the sell-off of the electricity retailers and the long term leasing of the generators.
 
"From what I have been told, the survey was overtly designed to leave very little room for an anti-privatisation response.
 
"The questions were carefully crafted to make on-going public ownership look dangerous and undesirable.
 
"It was not surprising to see a report in the Sunday Telegraph of the results of a government opinion poll supporting the sell-off.
 
"This is tax-payer funded propaganda at its worst. It is a massive waste of public money and an abuse of the Premier's authority. 
 
"If the government's polling is to have any credibility, Morris Iemma should immediately release the entire set of questions.
 
"Last year, Unions NSW commissioned their own survey which found 85 per cent opposition to power privatisation. It's hard to believe that there has been any significant softening in attitudes, given the run of appallingly bad news stories that have plagued the government's plans.
 
"It is much more likely that Premier Iemma asked for questions that locked in the answers he and his Treasurer Michael Costa wanted to hear.
 
"The Premier's spin doctors have been working overtime to take the sting out of the embarrassment of a Labor rank-and-file revolt.
 
"The government's polling results were made public on Sunday after the latest anti-privatisation meeting of party members on Saturday morning.
 
"The Iemma government is facing an internal uprising and they clearly want to distract attention by publishing their own bogus polling results," Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000