Mood:
quizzicalTopic: nsw govt
Is Michael Costa the dead man walking, a metaphor beloved of big politics referring to the great Sean Penn movie?
The willing headline on yesterday's News Corp tabloid raises a question about their corporate displeasure:
We include the SMH front page because it reveals some things too: News Corp tabloids to a newspaper all editorialised in favour of the invasion in March 2003, and on the day they could have reported exit from Iraq they went the bash on NSW ALP Treasurer instead. That's a pretty 'defense/offense Big Media attitude' given the exit from Iraq is in fact the real news priority not least the connection to increased oil prices from disruption in Iraq, as reported here on SAM via UK's The Independent (and notice Piers Akerman there).
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
not sure
Specifically Oil: A global crisis 25 May 2008
We contacted John Kaye MP (Greens) earlier today in light of his press release below on the upcoming NSW budget. The on the record conversation went like this:
SAM: In light of the front pager of the Telegraph yesterday [above] about Michael Costa being "a debt man walking", what do you say about the future of Costa and Premier Iemma if, and it's a big if, the public energy privatisation agenda falls over? And we should mention the feature profiling Carmel Tebbutt MP in the Herald recently [as potential leadership material, by State roundsman Clennell]
John Kaye MP: "We've said all along that that it would be an added bonus to end the career of Michael Costa. NSW can't afford a climate change sceptic, an attitude to the environment like robber barons of the 1890ies.
SAM: You are diplomatically avoiding reference to the Premier?
John Kaye MP: We don't hide the view Morris Iemma has made appalling mistakes showing he is not equal to complex and challenging times - desalination which has already gone ahead, Tillegra Dam near Dungog, and electricity privatisation.
Ouch.
Here is Kaye MP's media release today:
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 7:28 AMSubject: [Greens-Media] Costa's budget puts paid to privatisation assumptionsCosta's budget puts paid to privatisation assumptions
Media Release: 3 June 2008
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.
