[Greens-Media] Facts don't support Baird's push on power and public service cuts

[John Kaye]

Facts don't support Baird's push on power and public service cuts

Media release: 18 December 2014

The NSW Liberals and National' justification for the destruction of public
sector services and the long-term leasing of the wires and poles does not
survive the mid-year economic data released by Treasurer Andrew Constance,
according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on the Half-Yearly Review and 'Rebuilding NSW: Update on
Electricity Networks', Dr Kaye said: "A $272 million budget surplus, with
healthy forward projections, takes the wind out of the Baird-Grant
government's push for public service cuts and power privatisation.

"The Treasurer and the Premier just lost their excuse for attacking on
TAFE, aged care and public housing and leasing out the wires and poles.

"The key economic narrative of the Baird-Stoner is now exposed as
ideology, not good management.

"The upturn in property transfers that is driving the budget into surplus
is not the result of any magic wielded by Treasurer Andrew Constance or his
predecessor Mike Baird.

"Sydney's buoyant property market has much more to do with geography than
it does with Liberal and National party economic  policy.

"This government has sacked thousands of public sector workers who are
vital to delivering high quality services to the community, all in the name
of restoring the budget to surplus.

"Now the budget is heading into the black despite anything the government
did, it is time to back off and restore public services.

"The wires and poles leasing propaganda lacks any connection with the
reality of the electricity and distribution industry.

"The regulator's  proposed savage cuts to the revenue that Energy
Australia, Endeavour and TransGrid will be allowed to collect are dismissed
without any acknowledgement of the impact they will have on the sale price.

"The Baird government is pretending this is not an industry in transition.

"Their analysis lacks any recognition of the complex future faced by the
state’s electricity transmission and distribution with declining demand and
increasing consumer interest in renewable energy.

“This study could have been written 15 years ago, when network businesses
faced a much more certain future.

“There is no analysis on the need for the state to transition away from
coal-fired electricity generation.

"The potential impacts of rooftop solar, demand management and rapidly
developing energy storage technologies are entirely ignored.

“It looks a lot like the Treasurer hopes no one will notice that this is a
sale in trouble until after the election.

"All that the Baird-Grant government wants is to get through the lection
with their $20 billion illusion intact," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455


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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
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