The Queensland Greens and their strong opposition to the Liberal National Party’s asset leasing have maintained and improved their vote in the face of an historic swing to Labor, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
“Queensland voters, desperate to get rid of the Campbell Newman government and their $27 billion asset transfer to the private sector, did not desert the Greens.” Dr Kaye commented “With the NSW election less than eight weeks away, the Baird-Grant government should take another look at their plans to hand over critical components of the state’s electricity network to the private sector.” Dr Kaye added.
Dr Kaye explained that Queensland voters have seen through the grab bag of infrastructure promises used by conservative parties to sweeten up asset privatisation adding that as the 28 March NSW election looms, the Greens will be reminding voters of the track record of each party on electricity privatisation.
“NSW voters are increasingly aware that, like Labor’s gentrader privatisation, the Liberal-National plan to put all of the transmission grid and much of the distribution network into private hands will cost them more and undermine the state’s economic and environmental future. “Former cabinet ministers in the last NSW Labor government, who stood by and watched the state’s electricity generators and retailers fall into private hands, will struggle to gain credibility on their party’s new-found public opposition to the sell-off,” Dr Kaye said.