Mood:
energeticTopic: nsw govt
[Media release]
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
..................
We wrote earlier today;
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 8:25 AMSubject: Prof Bob Walker expose of accounting re public power assets on Alan Jones 2GB - long interview 10 min. plus> Walker may have been on Stateline or 7.30 last week with the same message on
> 2GB this morning. Can't recall exactly when - though Costa was on Stateline
> last Friday responding.
>
> But notably Walker gave a hammer blow to power privatisation with strong
> sympathy from Alan Jones on 2GB after 7 am this morning Monday 18th Feb re
> 'another NSW State Bank' sell off financial joke.
>
> Combine with the Sunday fairfax poor approval lead re Iemma yesterday, and
> the lack of integrity stories re corporate donations in today's Herald and
> Hazzard MP with Alan Jones again for 10 min. just before 8am - usual
> resonating thesis about dictatorial attacks on planning with 500 public
> submissions kept confidential by Sartor, Part 3A etc etc.
>
> The govt's broad critics are getting critical mass, and the coalition side
> of things are smelling some blood as a result, and that's a real politik
> observation, not a barrack.
>
> Yours truly, Tom McLoughlin
In addition John Kaye MP from last week on base load power:
Reality bites deep into electricity privatisation argument
Media Release: 13 February 2008
A gas-fired baseload power station being built near Wollongong further undermines the NSW government's pretext for electricity privatisation, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
Commenting on a story on page 5 of the today's Sydney Morning Herald, Dr Kaye said: "Treasurer Michael Costa argues that public ownership of the state's electricity supply industry is a barrier to private sector investment in baseload capacity.
"Mr Costa needs to get out more.
"On the shores of Lake Illawarra, near Wollongong China Light and Power's Australian subsidiary, TRUenergy is close to completing a 400 MW gas-fired baseload power station.
"According to Michael Costa, this could not happen, but it is.
"A private sector investor is already building at least one baseload station.
"Michael Costa is busy pushing for the sale of the state's electricity industry without knowing what is happening on the ground.
"This is dangerous territory for the state when the Treasurer is so ignorant of the industry he is trying to sell.
"The 'private sector barrier to investment' argument is as bankrupt as the rest of the Iemma government's rationalisation of their sale push.
"The NSW government claims the state needs yet more baseload power by 2014 or the lights will go out. They also claim that the state cannot afford to build generators plants or it will blow out its AAA credit rating.
"Both are wrong.
"If the state does need more baseload energy, our analysis shows it can be achieved by phasing out electric off-peak water. Not only is this cheaper than building new generators but it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Michael Costa might have been able to recruit former Premier Bob Carr and Prime Minster Kevin Rudd onto his privatisation bandwagon, but reality is running firmly against him," Dr Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
