NSW electricity privatisation
Barry O'Farrell, NSW electricity privatisation and shooting in National Parks Australia
Electricity privatisation continues to cause bizarre consequences as yet another State Premier will apparently do anything to push it through, despite almost total lack of electoral support. See our history of attempts to privatise electricity in NSW. It reads like a war on democracy.
John Kaye says NSW Greens will make electricity a public asset again
Greens member of the NSW Legislative Council, John Kaye, has previously stood up against privatisation of that state's electricity and we have published some speeches to that effect by him here at candobetter.net.
Sale of NSW electricity retail assets amidst world credit crisis an act of financial recklessness
Now is not the time for electricity retail fire sale
NSW Greens Media Release 19 September 2008
Pushing ahead with the sale of the state's electricity retailers during the greatest credit crisis since the 1929 stock market crash would be financial recklessness, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Dr Kaye said: "Businesses across the globe are offloading assets at bargain basement prices as the financial sector goes into global credit meltdown.
Media contempt for facts in NSW electricity privatisation debate
Contents: #OFarrellPilloried">O'Farrell pilloried,
NSW Greens defend O'Farrell
NSW Greens leader John Kaye defends Opposition leader Barry O'Farrell. O'Farrell and the NSW Opposition are now under concerted attack by the corporate sector and their newsmedia for having blocked Treasurer Costa's privatisation legislation in accord with the wishes of over 80% of the NSW public last Thursday.
Greens endorse strike against electricity retail sell-off
Iemma's arrogance drives power retail workers to strike action
NSW Greens Media release: 29 August 2008
The United Services Union has called its members working in call centres of Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Country Energy off the job in protest against Premier Morris Iemma's 'plan B sell-off' announced late yesterday.
After cowardly backdown Costa, Iemma threaten back-door privatisation
Contents: #PunishesHouseholds">Power retail sell-off plan punishes households and environment,
Privatisation debate exposes Costa's hypocrisy and incompetence
#speech" id="speech">Upper House Liberal leader Michael Gallacher's speech against electricity privatisation
NSW state Opposition announces intention to block electricty privatisation
Media release from Barry O'Farrell NSW State Leader of the Opposition
Thursday 28 August 2008
The NSW Liberal/Nationals will vote against the Iemma Labor Government’s proposed sale of the State electricity assets.
Morris Iemma’s proposed sell-off fails the public interest test.
Open letter to NSW state Opposition members urging a vote against electricity privatisation
Dear member
Firstly, this is to congratulate you for having held the line on behalf of the NSW public against the demands of NSW Treasurer Michael Costa and Premier Morris Iemma and voted against their privatisation legislation. As you well know privatisation was rejected by the NSW public in the 1999 elections and the Liberal and National Party Opposition to their credit undertook to respect that verdict.
Open letter to NSW Labor parliamentary caucus members to urging a vote against electricity privatisation
Originally published on citizensagainstsellingtelstra.com. Now re-published on citizensagainstsellingtelstra.net. - 22 Jul 2012
Electricity Privatisation bill a test of whether the people or carpet-baggers rule NSW
Politicians under scrutiny on power sell-off vote
NSW Greens Media release: 27 August 2008
After twelve months of debate, tomorrow's decision on Treasurer Michael Costa's electricity privation legislation will be the ultimate test of who really runs NSW, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Dr Kaye said: "Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell has been wedged between the business lobby and the National Party.
NSW electricity privatisation can be stopped!
The recently released NSW Auditor-General's report supposedly gives the green light to the NSW Government's electricity privatisation legislation.
Iemma hangs on to power sell-off fantasy
NSW Greens Media Release: 26 July 2008
It's time for NSW Premier Morris Iemma to admit that the Rudd government's emissions trading scheme combined with widespread community opposition has fatally damaged his plans to privatise the state's electricity industry, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Commenting on a story on page 8 of today's Australian ('Iemma admits to sell-off doubt'), Dr Kaye said: "Morris Iemma is causing havoc in NSW's power industry in a futile attempt to position it for a sell-off that is increasingly unlikely to receive parliamentary approval.
"Pushing administrative staff out of state-owned retailer Integral Energy into generator Eraring could prove to be an expensive and disruptive political stunt.
"Given yesterday's report that 25 percent of the nation's coal-fired power generators will be forced out of business by the Commonwealth government's emissions trading scheme, NSW Coalition leader Barry O'Farrell will have little choice but to oppose the sell-off legislation when it come to parliament in late September.
"The news will have caused the sale value of NSW's three generator companies to have plummeted.
"Neither government nor Opposition can pretend that there is any financial benefit in the privatisation.
"Meanwhile, voters are increasingly focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and controlling rising household electricity bills.
"On both counts, the sell-off is bad deal.
"The political window of opportunity for the privatisation is slamming shut.
"The Premier should listen to his backbenchers, put his Treasurer Michael Costa on a tighter leash and abandon the power sell-off," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
See also: ABC gives free kick to Iemma, NSW electricity privatisation of 21 Jul 08.
ABC gives free kick to Iemma, NSW electricity privatisation
When Barrie Unsworth complained on Sydney's local ABC radio of the New South Wales Labor Party's efforts to ensure that state Labor parliamentarians vote against the privatisation of NSW's electricity assets - a policy already rejected resoundingly by the electorate in 1999 and currently opposed by 79% of the NSW public - his interviewer
Green Paper dumps Garnaut to deliver for Costa on compo
Greens Media Release : 16 July 2008
In a last ditch attempt to rescue NSW Treasurer Michael Costa's electricity privatisation push, the Rudd government has ignored Professor Ross Garnaut's opposition to compensating power stations for the costs of emissions trading, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Dr Kaye said: "The handiwork of Michael Costa is writ large in the federal government's Green Paper.
"He has been able to keep the door open for revenue from carbon trading to be used to compensate the owners of the large generators.
"This was essential if his proposed sell-off was to have any chance of surviving the huge costs of purchasing emissions certificates for the state's power stations.
"Ross Garnaut explicitly rejected compensation, explaining that other forms of structural adjustment funding would deliver more jobs and wealth creation.
"He anticipated and explicitly rejected the Green Paper's concern that power stations would lose value, citing the case of government policies that have depreciated investments in producing asbestos and tobacco
.
"Treasurer Costa knows he cannot sell the state's electricity generators without someone else paying for at least part of the billions of dollars of emissions certificates needed to support the 58 million tonnes of CO2 they emit each year.
"Together with his climate sceptic allies in Canberra and the fossil fuel lobby around Australia, Michael Costa has been able to push the Rudd government into taking compensation away from households and giving it to generators.
"This battle is not over yet. Saner heads in Canberra will no doubt be appalled by this outcome and will be working hard to keep the compensation amounts to a minimum.
"Treasurer Costa still faces an uphill battle to push through his sell-off," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
Garnaut to provide cover for privatisation of Snowy Hydro?
Update: Kelly denies Govt considering Snowy Hydro sell-off from ABC Online News 11 Jul 08 (see
Desperate Costa launches counter-offensive against Garnaut
Media Release: 7 July 2008
NSW Treasurer Michael Costa's misleading attack on climate change reviewer Professor Ross Garnaut's emissions trading proposal is a last-ditch attempt to rescue the Iemma government's electricity privatisation push, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Commenting on an opinion piece by the Mr Costa in today's Australian ("Garnaut Report a first step that falls short"), Dr Kaye said: "The Treasurer is working hard to undermine Professor Garnaut's argument for not compensating the electricity generators for the costs of the proposed emissions trading scheme.
"Michael Costa is threatening the nation with blackouts and economic chaos if the generators are not given at least 30 percent of their permits for free.
"The only blackout will be the Treasurer's career if the loss of power station profitability undermines his attempted privatisation.
"Professor Garnaut has nailed yet another nail in the coffin of the Iemma government's power sell-off. Investors would not want to buy power stations that have to fork out billions of dollars each year for permits.
"Mr Costa wants the people of NSW to have no faith in the ability of the national electricity market to maintain capacity to meet demand.
"The Treasurer's tirade ignores the effects of rising wholesale electricity prices on encouraging other lower carbon sources to be developed and operate.
"It is ironic to watch a leading neo-liberal economic ideologue like Michael Costa argue that markets do not work.
"In desperation, the Treasurer also argues that the power stations have property right to pollute the atmosphere.
"Australian society has never accepted the right of corporations to do harm just because they have done so in the past. As Professor Garnaut pointed out, this nation reduced the profitability of tobacco companies and asbestos mines without compensation.
"It is time for Premier Iemma to reign in his Treasurer before he does yet more damage to the government's credibility," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
john.kaye[AT]parliament nsw gov au www.johnkaye.org.au
John Kaye calls on Iemma to dump sell-off as NSW public repudiate privatisation
Costa has failed to sell privatisation to NSW voters: time to dump it
Greens Media Release: 29 June 2008
The Taverner Research poll released today shows that NSW voters have not been fooled by the Iemma government's power sell-off rhetoric, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Commenting on a story on pages 8 and 9 of today's Sun-Herald ('Jittery Labor MPs get ready to dump Iemma') Dr Kaye said: "A massive 79% of the poll sample rejected the government's rationale for electricity privatisation#main-fn1">1.
"Despite an intensive effort by Premier Morris Iemma and his Treasurer Michael Costa a tiny 14% believe them. Only 7% were undecided.
"The people of NSW are too smart to fall for the government's snow job.
"No amount of spin can hide the economic reality of the electricity industry. Selling off the retailers and the generators will leave the state's coffers with less value than it receives from annual dividends and tax payments.
"The Taverner Research Poll confirms the findings of two other polls taken earlier this year. Public opinion is not moving in favour of the sell-off.
"Premier Iemma and Treasurer Costa should give up. The voters have proven themselves to be too smart and the sell-off should be dumped," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
Footnotes
#main-fn1" id="main-fn1">1. #main-fn1-txt">↑ Poll adds to string of bad news for Iemma of Monday 30 June in the Sydney Morning Herald reported:
The weekend poll found 79 per cent oppose power privatisation, even when reminded that the Government's rationale is to invest more in public infrastructure.
Costa's budget puts paid to privatisation assumptions
NSW Greens Media Release: 3 June 2008
Original media release from greens.org.au/media/releases
NSW Treasurer Michael Costa's budget to be delivered this afternoon proves that the electricity industry sell-off is unnecessary and bad for the economy, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Commenting on the pre-release announcement of a $58 billion spend on infrastructure, Dr Kaye said: "The Iemma government's budget is based on the sensible idea that borrowing for infrastructure is a healthy investment in the state's future.
"It is time for the same logic to be applied to the electricity industry
"Treasurer Costa has belatedly joined the big borrowers brigade, recognising that the state needs to invest in transport, health and education to secure the economic future of NSW.
"Exactly the same argument can be applied to the state's energy system.
"Borrowing for investment in new clean energy supply capacity would not only help the state cope with increasing pressure on greenhouse gas emissions.
"It would also earn a healthy return, which would pay off the debt.
"There would be no effect on the state's credit rating.
"If Treasurer Costa could see beyond his ideological commitment to privatisation, he would understand that maintaining public ownership of the electricity industry would help ease the debt burden.
"The generators and retailers currently put $1.1 billion to the state's budget each year.
"That's a very healthy return on assets that are probably worth less than $7 billion on the open market," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
No Mandate, No Sale - Demand Costa and Iemma debate electricity sale in Parliament
No Mandate, No Privatisation Bill
Original document here on John Kaye's web site.
Support the bill to force the government to get parliamentary approval for its privatisation scheme!
NSW Greens MP John Kaye has introduced a bill to NSW Parliament which would guarantee that the NSW Government could not privatise electricity without the approval of Parliament.
The Greens first put forward the Energy Services Corporations Ownership (Parliamentary Powers) Bill 2008 (pdf file - the No Mandate No Privatisation Bill) in February 2008 after the NSW Government announced that it had legal advice that it didnot need the Parliament's permission to privatise the state's billion dollar electricity industry.
No Mandate
The government does not have a mandate for its privatisation scheme.
No mention of it was made in the lead up to the last state election in 2007, and the move directly contravenes existing Labor Party policy. At the NSW ALP Conference rank and file members of the ALP confirmed this - with members voting against the sale by a massive margin of 7 to 1.
Support the No Mandate No Privatisation Bill and stop the government bypassing parliament and selling off billions of dollars of public assets.
About the Bill
The Greens No Mandate No Privatisation Bill was successfully introduced into Parliament, with the support of the Opposition and minor parties, in February 2008. However, a vote on the Bill was put on hold after the Treasurer Michael Costa announced that some form of legislation would come before Parliament about the sale.
At the time this seemed a significant concession from the government, as it was the first time that the government had agreed that the Parliament would have a vote on the privatisation plan. This concession encouraged some of the members of the NSW upper house to avoid voting on the Greens Bill at that time.
However, in giving this assurance the Treasurer did not give any details of how or when a vote might happen. It is not know, for example, whether the government will wait to introduce legislation until it is already a long way down the track of privatisation. The government has already committed millions of dollars towards the sale, in consultant fees and an expensive advertising campaign.
Click here for full news from 26 February and the passage of the Bill so far.
The Greens will be pushing ahead with the No Mandate No Privatisation Bill in May 2008. To view a copy of the Bill click HERE.
Latest News
- 4 May 2008: The Premier announced that he plans to push ahead with privatisation, regardless of the wishes of the community and his own party. His announcement came one day after the state ALP conference voted overwhelmingly against the government's privatisation plan.
- For other latest news see the Privatisation News page of (Jphn Kaye's) website.
How you can help:
You can show your support for the Greens bill by:
- Calling the Liberal Party shadow treasury spokesperson, Greg Pearce, on 9230 2428
- Calling Rev Gordon Moyes of the Christian Democrats, on 9230 3340
- Calling Robert Brown of the Shooters Party, on 9230 3059
- Emailing all Coalition, Christian Democrat and Shooters Party members of the NSW Upper House:
john.ajaka [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au robert.brown [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au david.clarke [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au rick.colless [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au catherine.cusack [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au marie.ficarra [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au michael.gallacher [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au jenny.gardiner [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au duncan.gay [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au don.harwin [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au trevor.khan [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au charlie.lynn [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au Matthew.Mason-Cox [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au gordon.moyes [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au F.Nile [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au Robyn.Parker [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au melinda.pavey [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au greg.pearce [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au roy.smith [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au?bcc=justin.whelan [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au
Subject: No Mandate, No Privatisation
Dear Member of the NSW Legislative Council,
I write to ask you to support the Energy Services Corporation Ownership (Parliamentary Powers) Bill 2008 that Greens MP John Kaye will be moving in Parliament very soon.
The government is proceeding without a mandate. Morris Iemma ruled out privatisation before the last election. Now he is claiming he does not even need legislation to make it happen. It seems the people's elected representatives are going to be ignored, along with the 86 per cent of the public who oppose this bad idea.
I understand this bill does NOT seek to establish a general prohibition on privatisation of the energy services corporations. It does require the government to obtain the concurrence of both houses of parliament to proceed with its plan. It is designed to stop Michael Costa's arrogance and abuse of executive power, by forcing him to obtain the approval of parliament.
This is a simple step you can take to ensure that parliament, as a representative of the people of NSW, has a say in what happens to the electricity industry in this state.
Yours sincerely,
[insert name and address] - Emailing all Labor members of the NSW Upper House:
tony.catanzariti [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au office [AT] smos.nsw.gov.au greg.donnelly [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au amanda.fazio [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au kayee.griffin [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au office [AT] hatzistergos.minister.nsw.gov.au sharon.armstrong [AT] lands.nsw.gov.au macdonald.office [AT] macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au edward.obeid [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au peter.primrose [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au Christine.Robertson [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au enquiries.roads [AT] roozendaal.minister.nsw.gov.au Penny.Sharpe [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au henry.tsang [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au mick.veitch [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au lynda.voltz [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au helen.westwood [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au ian.west [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au?bcc=justin.whelan [AT] parliament.nsw.gov.au
Subject: No Mandate, No Privatisation
Dear Member of the NSW Legislative Council,
I write to ask you to support the Energy Services Corporation Ownership (Parliamentary Powers) Bill 2008 that Greens MP John Kaye will be moving in Parliament very soon.
The government is proceeding without a mandate. Morris Iemma ruled out privatisation before the last election. Now he is claiming he does not even need legislation to make it happen. It seems the people's elected representatives are going to be ignored, along with the 86 per cent of the public who oppose this bad idea.
AI understand this bill does NOT seek to establish a general prohibition on privatisation of the energy services corporations. It does require the government to obtain the concurrence of both houses of parliament to proceed with its plan. It is designed to stop Michael Costa's arrogance and abuse of executive power, by forcing him to obtain the approval of parliament.
This is a simple step you can take to ensure that parliament, as a representative of the people of NSW, has a say in what happens to the electricity industry in this state.Yours sincerely,
[insert name and address]
NOTE: If you send the emails, be sure to insert your name and address at the bottom.
NSW Electricity Privatisation Links
#WebDiary" id="WebDiary">From webdiary
A tale of two selloffs
by Ian MacDougall, 10 May 08
The ostensible argument for power privatisation is that NSW needs the money for schools, hospitals and other expenditure. The reality is that sale of capital is touted as the way to finance ongoing expenditure, analogous to the classic case of the farmer who sells off a bit of the farm each year to keep the family clothed and food on the table.
Comment: Labor caucus's capitulation an unparalleled display of spinelessness
#OzLeft" id="OzLeft">From OzLeft
Outsiders in their own party
The Labor Party ranks according to Michael Egan
by Ed Lewis, 9 May 08
The public discussion over electricity privatisation in NSW is increasingly becoming a traditional union bash in the media. Today, Michael Egan, another former Labor Party official and politician, steps forward to read a lecture to the party’s ranks about a properly respectful attitude towards politicians.
#more-512">Read the rest of this entry on Ozleft »
Another banker joins the Iemma cheer squad
by Ed Lewis, 8 May 08
Another banker weighs in on the Iemma-Costa side of the NSW electricity privatisation battle today, although it’s obvious Babcock and Brown’s Stephen Loosley is a bit better informed about the present state of the Labor Party than either Paul Keating or Bob Carr.
#more-511" class="more-link">Read the rest of this entry on Ozleft »
NSW energy fight: defend public assets! by Graham Matthews, Green Left Weekly, 10 May 08
The plan for the privatisation of electricity in NSW is like the mythical creature the hydra, which had multiple heads. It had to be “killed” many times before it would actually die — and every time it was “killed” it could bite back apparently unharmed
Iemma vs Labor by Tim Dunlop, 5 May 08
Isn’t it the case that the people of NSW are against privatisation; the Labor Party’s platform is against privatisation; and the Premier went to the last election promising not to privatise the state’s electricity? So that by now saying he will privatise electricity, isn’t the Premier defying the will of the people, ignoring his own party’s platform (and conference), and breaking an election commitment?
It’s all very well to get a in a tizz about “unions running the state” and other clichés from the conservative playbook, but in this case, by what right can Mr Iemma justify his disregard of public opinion, his party platform, and his own election commitments?
Not privatising, just giving control to private companies to run as they see fit for a century by Tim Dunlop, 30 Apr 08
Iemma redefines NSW electricity by Tim Dunlop, 11 Dec 07
Power ranger Iemma ignites state with $15b Brian Robins and Alexandra Smith, SMH 11 Dec 07
As Tim Dunlop notes "an uncritical article which (happily) buys into the line."
The power of persuasion by John Quiggin, 19 Jun 08
Iemma’s power failure by John Quiggin, 21 Dec 07
NSW Electricity privatisation - a quick look, John Quiggin 12 Dec 07
Privatisation, 80s style, John Quiggin 11 Dec 07
NSW power play stirs up a-giant of global warming by John Garnaut, The Age, 12 May 08
SOONER or later, some anti-privatisation activist will start doing background checks on China Huaneng Group, which is at the front of the queue to bid for $15 billion in NSW power assets. They'll see that Sydney might soon be powered by the world's biggest corporate contributor to global warming.
How power vote pushed a 25-year friendship to the brink, SMH, 11 May 08
Michael Costa's bully-boy tactics may have hurt Labor but not the Premier or his privatisation plans, reports Andrew Clennell.
Good cop, bad cop or a true blue, SMH, 10 May 08
Michael Costa's bully-boy tactics may have hurt Labor but not the Premier or his privatisation plans, reports Andrew Clennell.
Premier's power play, SMH, 19 Apr 08
Iemma deserved better than naked obstructionism by Paul Keating in SMH 30 Apr 08
Paul Keating, who counducted his own fire sale of Commonwealth Government assets, and broke his 1993 election pledge not to fully privatise the half-privatised Commonwealth bank lends his moral support to Iemma, and Michael Costa, whom he describes as "as honest a pair of souls as NSW politics has had".
Keating backs NSW electricity sell-off, SMH, 6 May 08
Keating supports privatisation move, ABC News, 7 May 08
Iemma will prevail on power: Carr, AAP in SMH of 4 May 08
Includes utterances by Wayne Swan and Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull's take, before Iemma was lionised by the media for subsequently defying the decision of the Labor Party, not to mention the NSW public:
"Morris Iemma seems to have lost the confidence of much of his party room and the vast majority of the Labor Party, he is a broken premier, and the tragedy for NSW is he is in power until 2011, well at least the government is."
Rudd has a stake in NSW power sell-off, The Australian editorial of 5 May 08
This contains such gems as:
“If electricity privatisation can be defeated because unions representing a few thousand electricity workers don't like it, how difficult would it be to stare down union interests to overhaul health and education?” Thus the editorial ignores the wishes of two thirds of the NSW public opinion who now oppose privatisation and who in 1999 emphatically repudiated the Liberal Party when it stood for elctions on a platform of electricity privatisation.
“NSW is still paying a heavy financial price for Mr Carr's submission to trade union power.” (In fact, as Professor John Quiggin has shown on 27 Dec 07, the defeat of Carr’s privatisation bid “ in 1997 saved the NSW public between $5 and $10 billion.”)
“Mr Iemma must demonstrate that he is prepared to govern for all people and ignore the demands of state conference. ”
Bad sell but I'm pushing ahead: Iemma in the Melbourne Age of 5 May 08
Hunter MPs threaten power sell-off revolt in Newcastle Herald of 5 May 08
Costa losing the plot: ALP powerbroker in the Australian of 5 May 08
Costa's obscene outburst at unions SMH, 30 Apr 08
Iemma facing party revolt over power sell-off, ABC Online News, 5 May 08
We could lose next election, Rudd warns, SMH 5 May 08
New South Wales Must Proceed With Power Sale, Energy Users Say, Bloombergs, 5 May 085 May 08
Australian corporate energy users urge Iemma to defy NSW public and Labor Party conference decision.
Business Chamber supports power sale, SMH, 4 Apr 08
Iemma, unions still split on sell-off, The Australian, 12 May 08
Imre Salusinszky, who had triumphally gloated how the fight over privatisation was all over on the day of the capitulation of ‘opponents’ of privatisation at the NSW parliamentary Labor caucus meeting of 6 May, now writes, “Unions and the NSW Labor Government are no closer to a deal on electricity privatisation, more than a week after Premier Morris Iemma announced he was pressing ahead with the power sale despite a massive rebuff from the party's state conference.“
Power brokers, Matthew Warren, The Australian, 9 May 08
Lots of straw men set up and demolished, for example:
“Given such a display of finger-pointing, yelling and fist shaking, you'd think privatising the electricity market was a giant leap of faith in government policy; a bold step into the unknown.
“It is neither. One-third of the 45,000MW of Australia's electricity generation capacity comes from privately owned power suppliers. Victorian and South Australian generators and retailers were privatised a decade ago. ...”
In fact the consequnces of privatisation are all too well known, with the sorry outcomes of the privatisations of the Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, State Banks and Insurance companies. Only recently the New Zealand government renationalised its railways and ferries, because it had found that these services had been run down by their private opoerators, which is precisely the opposite of the claims being made of what privatisationof electricity will achieve.
“Typically, former prime minister Paul Keating didn't hold back earlier this week, publishing a demolition of Unions NSW's anti-privatisation position that was aired so robustly last weekend.” (Iemma deserved better than naked obstructionism - see above)
Of Course, there is no mention of NSW Green MLA John Kaye's media release in response Keating confused on power sell-off factsof 6 May 08 which exposes a number of factual errors in Keating's supposed 'robust' 'demolition'.
China eyes $15b NSW power play, John Garnaut, SMH, 9 May 08
CHINA'S largest power company has its eyes on Morris Iemma's $15 billion sell-off, as part of an ambitious strategy to buy Australian power, coal and even uranium assets.
Regulating the power shift: the state capital, and electricity privatisation in Autralia (pdf) by D. Cahill and S Beder.
Abstract: This article examines the process of electricity privatisation in Australia in order to identify the dynamics of neo-liberalism in practice. It is argued that neo-liberalism is best understood as a particular mode of regulation in which the state legislates to secure freedoms for capital. In the case of electricity privatisation the main beneficiaries have been corporations rather than consumers and this has been facilitated by a whole host of new state regulations.
Publicly owned electricity retailers: an environmental economic analysis, April 2008 (pdf, 29K) by Professor Frank Stilwell.
Electricity privatisation: The right decision for NSW, NSW business Chamber, 10 Dec 07
Developments in national energy reform, 24 Apr 08
Document by Freehills “one of Australia's major corporate and commercial legal firms“
Shows how privatisation of NSW and indeed all publicly owned utilities was promoted by the Council of Australian Governments (i.e. the Howard Government and eight state ’Labor’ governments) meeting of April 2007
ERIG found that government ownership (especially in electricity) acted as a barrier to entry and an impediment to competition. To improve contestability and efficiency in Australian energy markets, ERIG recommended disaggregation and full privatisation of government-owned energy assets throughout Australia. This should take place as soon as feasible, given the practicalities of the privatisation process. The recent sale of the Queensland Government’s retail energy assets was seen as a good example for other states.
ERIG (the Energy Reform Implementation Group, established by COAG in 2006) acknowledged that privatisation may be politically sensitive(our emphasis) but emphasised that privatisation of even one element of the contestable energy chain would help to increase efficiency. ERIG proposed a number of lesser options, including the disaggregation of government-owned electricity assets and providing ‘clear signals’ to private investors (the approach adopted by the Western Australian Government was commended).
NSW Government's disregard of public opinion on electricity privatisation
The NSW rural newpsaper the Northern Daily Leader of 9 May 08 reported in its article NSW Government appears impervious to public opinion local state Independent member for seat of Tamworth
New Zealand Government re-nationalises railways and ferry services
As the NSW Labor government, in defiance of the wishes of the NSW public without any electoral mandate, and cheered on by the corporate newsmedia, presses ahead with its plans to privatise NSW's electricity assets, the New Zealand Government is moving in the other direction and has renationalised its rail network.
Keating confused on power sell-off facts
Media release by NSW Greens MLA, John Kaye Tuesday 06 May 2008
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating's attempt at defending the privatisation of NSW's electricity industry is based on a number of incorrect and misleading assertions, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Keating confused on power sell-off facts.
Dr Kaye said: "Labor MPs should not be intimidated by Mr Keating's self-confidence or his use of colourful epithets.
"He has displayed a remarkable level of ignorance of the NSW power sector.
"Writing in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Keating asserts that value of the power stations was $35 billion in 1997 when former Premier Carr and his Treasurer Michael Egan tried to privatise them.
"In fact this was the estimated income from the sale of the entire industry, including the wires and poles of the distributors and the transmission system.
"Comparing this to the alleged $15 billion price tag for the current proposal which does not include any of the transmission or distribution hardware is deeply misleading.
"Mr Keating has conveniently ignored the billions of dollars in the low and high voltage network that then Premier Carr wanted to sell off and was included in the $35 billion price tag.
"He has wiped out the value of 12,440 km of high voltage transmission lines owned by Transgrid.
"He has written down to zero the $10.9 billion assets of the state's electricity distributors, including 2.2 million power poles and the 169 thousand substations.
"The former Prime Minister also alleges that much of NSW electricity is provided by private generation in other states.
"Again he is woefully ignorant of reality. The total import was just over 10% of the state's needs in the last financial year.
Stop Press: According to The Australian's Matthew Warren in Power Brokers of 9 May:
Typically, former prime minister Paul Keating didn't hold back earlier this week, publishing a demolition of Unions NSW's anti-privatisation position that was aired so robustly last weekend.Read of Paul Keating's 'robust' 'demolition' of
the anti-privatisation caseby
Newspeak on the asset stripping of Australia
When you take a public asset without permission and give it to private individuals, that is not 'reform' it is theft. Taking something without the owners' permission is stealing.
Iemma defies Labor conference, unions and public in push to privatise NSW electricity
The arrogant contempt in which democracy is held by many of Australia's political and business leaders and much of the newsmedia could not have been made more clear by the determination of the New South Wales Government of Morris Iemma to proceed with its plans to sell off publicly owned electricity assets.
Rally tells Iemma to dump electricity sell-off
Originally published on NSW Green MLA John Kaye's web site Saturday 26 April 2008
Community members held a no sell-off protest meeting outside key NSW Labor power broker and MP for Maroubra Michael Daley's office this morning. Speakers at the rally included Greens NSW MP John Kaye and Luke Whittington, union organiser and convenor of Eastern Sydney Your Rights At Work.
Dr Kaye said: "Premier Morris Iemma and his Treasurer Michael Costa have led their government to the brink if disaster.
"They have broken faith with the union movement, the membership of their own party and the community.
"They have no mandate to sell off the industry.
"They are facing massive defeat at the ALP state conference next weekend.
"If the Premier does push ahead in defiance of his own party's governing body, it is unlikely he will be able to get privatisation legislation through the NSW Upper House.
"It is time for the Iemma government to abandon their sell off scheme and stop the massive waste on money on consultants and bankers.
"Michael Daley is a keen supporter of Premier Iemma's privatisation proposal. He was one of the three government representatives on the Unsworth Committee that gave the go ahead.
"Mr Daley needs to know that his constituents are firmly opposed to the sell-off. If the Premier gets his way, household electricity bills will skyrocket, jobs will be lost and it will be much more difficult to control the state's greenhouse gas emissions," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
See also Party faithful boo Iemma in SMH of 3 May.
The Australian newspaper peddles NSW electricity privatisation
This was posted to a discussion #comment-207324">Time to give the b-team a turn, concerning the NSW Labor Government's bid to sell the publicly-owned electricity generators against the oppos
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