NSW: No To Electricity Privatisation

The NSW Opposition today said that Mike Baird’s plans to privatisation the State’s electricity network would set NSW on the wrong path - driving up electricity prices for households, reducing service reliability and depriving the State of over $1 billion each year to fund our hospitals, schools, teachers and nurses. 

Opposition Leader John Robertson said Labor would oppose the sale because it is a bad deal for NSW
families – something Mike Baird’s own coalition members have publicly pointed out.

“Have no doubt that the sale of our electricity network will see families pay more on their power bills,” Mr Robertson said.

“Families in Victoria and South Australia have seen their electricity bills increase following privatisation in those states – with South Australia having the highest electricity prices in the country.

“What Mike Baird is proposing is no different to taking your superannuation in a lump sum - spending it all in one go on a flash new car and an overseas holiday - and then having no money left to pay the bills.

“Mike Baird is trying to sell the people of NSW a lemon – the community knows instinctively that a private company will not spend billions of dollars buying our electricity network to cut power bills for families.

“NSW will also lose more than $1 billion from our power network each year that is reinvested in this state to fund infrastructure, hospitals, nurse, schools and teachers.

“The community can have no doubts where I stand on electricity privatisation. I have always opposed it
because it is not good for families across NSW or for the state.”

Mr Robertson said Mike Baird had attempted to deceive the people of NSW today by claiming NSW already pays higher energy bills – despite the independent Australian Energy Regulator clearly showing South Australia have the highest bills with prices in Victoria and NSW broadly the same.

According to the independent report:

“This shows that electricity charges are highest in South Australia (annual bill $2335)… Electricity charges (Source: Annual Report on the Performance of the Retail Energy Market – 2012/13, Australian Energy Regulator, February 2014)

“The independent energy regulator has clearly shown that the highest electricity prices in the country are paid in South Australia – a privatised network,” Mr Robertson said.

“The regulator also shows that prices in Victoria and NSW are broadly the same, even though NSW has a power network four times larger than Victoria.

“Mike Baird needs to be upfront with the people of NSW – how will he pay for our schools, hospitals, teachers, nurses and other essential community services when he sells off the poles and wires?

“The public know that any private operator will want to make a big profit from the billions they will spend to buy our electricity network. That means families will pay for those profits.”