Privatisation is theft - stop Iemma's energy sell-off!

Media release August 22, 2008

Socialist Alliance today condemned the NSW Premier Morris Iemma’s latest bid to rush through enabling legislation to sell off the state’s energy retailers and generators.

The Premier is recalling parliament from its winter recess on August 28 to vote to sell off public assets estimated to be worth some $15 billion.

“Iemma believes that the Auditor-General’s report into the terms of the electricity sale gives him the political clout to get the Liberals to support the privatisation. The bigger political issue for Labor, however, is the public’s response: we already know that some 85% of NSW don’t want the sale to go ahead”, said Marrickville council candidate Pip Hinman. “And people are going to be even more furious about this”, she added.

“Socialist Alliance, as part of the Power to the People campaign, is against the sell-off. We think that everyone involved in the campaign – unions, Labor members, Greens, socialists, and others should now be planning to bring forward the protest set down for September 20.

“This would help increase the pressure on the Premier and the treasurer, and bolster the ALP MPs who have said that they will cross the floor”, said Ms Hinman.

Socialist Alliance is calling on voters at the September 13 council election to write “No sell-off” on their ballots as a way of sheeting home the message to the Premier.

Pip Hinman 0412 139 968

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