[Greens-Media] Costa's electricity sell-off hits the people power wall

[John Kaye]

Costa's electricity sell-off hits the people power wall
 
Media Release: 26 February 2008
 
Greens members and MPs are today joining unionists and community activists to tell the NSW government to abandon Treasurer Michael Costa's scheme to privatise the state's electricity industry. 
 
Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "Treasurer Costa has wedged his own government. 
 
"Premier Iemma and the Labor caucus can either rein him in and back down on the sell-off or they can blunder on with the increasingly unpopular scheme and pay the political price.
 
"The rally outside Parliament House on the first day of sitting will make many members of caucus very nervous.
 
"It is one thing to allow themselves to be bullied into a 1980s-style privatisation. It is entirely more difficult to explain their betrayal of party policy to angry community members, unionists and supporters.
 
"Their task is made much more difficult by Michael Costa's failure to convincingly refute the arguments against privatisation.
 
"The Treasurer cannot continue to dismiss the emerging reality of carbon trading costs, turmoil in the stock market and the loss of state revenues. 
 
"Sooner or later he has to admit that much of the planning of the sell-off was based on wrong assumptions and a misreading of the future of the industry.
 
"As the case for the sell-off falls apart, the rally outside parliament and the release of the first independent opinion poll showing overwhelming opposition to electricity privatisation will increase pressure on government backbenchers. 
 
"The Greens will be well represented in today's rally. Like the overwhelming majority of the community, they are angry that this irreversible sell-off is being pushed through despite the inevitable job losses, environmental damage and pressure on household energy bills," 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