Electricity privatisation update

A group called the Alliance for NSW Future has been established to counteract "the unions' self-interested campaign against reform", the Sydney Chamber of Commerce said.

The open letter says the power sell-off will free up funds to renew other parts of the state's infrastructure.

Christopher Brown, managing director of the Tourism and Transport Forum, said the electricity industry was threatened by ageing power stations, making the sale a matter of urgency.

"We need new power stations. Essentially, if you're a seller, you need to sell now. We should have sold 10 years ago," Mr Brown said.

"I want to see (the state government) building public transport, schools and hospitals."

"With the emissions trading scheme and climate change around the corner and with the continued state monopoly, if they don't (privatise) the prices will get even higher. And we don't want them going up," Mr Brown said.

"We represent hundreds and thousands of businesses who depend upon efficient, clean, reasonably-priced supply of power.

"We want certainty in our power supply. We want NSW power companies to attract talented people to be able to retain customers. So, to do nothing is not an option."

Unions NSW assistant secretary Matt Thistlethwaite said the Alliance for NSW Future was pushing its own agenda of self-interest.

"The establishment of this group should send alarm bells through the community - because, just as they did with Work Choices, the business lobby is pushing their own agenda at the expense of the interests of working families," he said in a statement.

The business lobby could not explain how jobs and electricity assets would be kept in Australia, Mr Thistlethwaite said.

"Big business is rubbing its hands at the prospect of privatising power. The establishment of this group just gives the community further reason to be afraid," he said.

"With more than 80 per cent of the population opposing the sell-off, the government simply has no mandate to proceed."

At a meeting with business leaders recently newly elected Federal MP Greg Combet suggested he no option but to support the NSW privatisation as a minister in the Rudd government. This statement surprised many admirers of the former ACTU Secretary and undoubtedly most of those who voted for him in his electorate.

In the light of Combet's statement the Senator Elect member for NSW, Doug Cameron, made it clear at a meeting in Katoomba that he was opposed to privatisation, and saw no reason why his view had to change because he was about to enter the Senate as a Labor Senator.