Ed Lewis
Total Environment Centre director Jeff Angel was one of the members of the Unsworth committee, appointed by the NSW government to approve its proposal to privatise the state’s electricity system. The findings of the Unsworth committee were never in doubt, since the body was packed with government supporters from the start.
Ed Lewis
The Unsworth report supporting electricity privatisation in NSW was yesterday (Monday) considered by the Labor Party’s administrative committee, its peak executive body, and flicked through to the NSW Labor Party conference in May. A minority report was also sent through to the conference.
Ed Lewis
It’s most unlikely you will see the magic, disappearing mirrabee,
For if you turn most quickly round, it disappears beneath the ground.
The report of the Unsworth committee on the Iemma-Costa privatisation proposal for the NSW electricity system was supposed to hit the deck yesterday (Friday), but if media coverage of this momentous event is anything to go by, the report seems to been dropped overboard instead. Perhaps there will be more news on Monday, after the Labor Party’s Administrative Committee considers the report and formally releases it, but what has happened to all the leaks, which were more like a torrent earlier in the week?
Bob Gould
Michael Berrell keeps asking his idiot question, on the Green Left discussion list, demanding some kind statement from me as to whether members of the Labor Party should campaign for the expulsion of Costa and Iemma if they don’t carry out policy.
Fact: Over the last decade, the average yearly price of electricity per megawatt hour has been $38.22 in NSW. This should be compared to other states in Australia where privatisation has occurred. An example is in South Australia, the average price is $76.36.
Jenny Haines
Something unusual and historic in the NSW Labor Party happened today. About 200 active rank and file members of the party filled the Sydney Trades Hall auditorium for a forum, in revolt against the plans by the parliamentary party in power to privatise the electricity industry in NSW.
Download flyer for Labor Party rank and file anti-privatisation meeting, Saturday, February 16. (Note: this meeting is for the general public, not just Labor Party members.)
Download flyer for anti-privatisation rally at the opening of NSW Parliament, Tuesday, February 26.
Many Labor Party branches have backed a protest against the Iemma-Costa electricity privatisation push, which will take place at UNSW auditorium, 377 Sussex Street, Sydney (near the corner of Goulburn Street) on Saturday at 10.30am.
Chaired by Bernie Riordan. Speakers: Prof Sharon Beder (UNSW), Mark Byrne (Public Interest Advocacy Centre), Cate Faehrmann (Nature Conservation Council), Senator Doug Cameron, Steve Turner (PSA).
Unions NSW is planning a rally at the opening of state parliament for the year on February 26. Details on the flyer above.
More news on the privatisation push.
Bob Gould
Despite the usual tendency of Australian politics to go into recess in January, the developing struggle over electricity privatisation is shaping up as the first major political collision of the Rudd era.
