February 24, 2014
Energy Minister Mark McArdle has re-confirmed the State Government’s intention to sell Stanwell and CS Energy after the next election “if they get a mandate”, the Electrical Trades Union said today.
State ETU Organiser Stuart Traill said Mr McArdle reiterated this to him while the two were at the Kippa-Ring polling booth during Saturday’s Redcliffe by-election.
Mr Traill claimed Mr McArdle had also confirmed a $14 billion private capital expenditure in Ergon Energy, Energex and Powerlink which the ETU describes as “privatisation by stealth”.
In a media release today, the ETU said it was a “rare moment of candor” from Mr McArdle.
“The extraordinary moment of truth would have left the blue-shirted LNP booth workers red-faced as they continued to parrot the party spin line of ‘we’re not selling anything’,” Mr Traill said.
“I told him in no uncertain terms that what happened in Redcliffe was just the start, Queenslanders have no appetite for asset sales and that the LNP would lose at least three seats in the Cairns area alone.
“I also queried why the government continued to deny its asset sales agenda publicly and why it couldn’t use some of the profit generated to continue funding capital expenditure.
“The Minister’s response was ‘that’s a debate for the party room’.”
Mr Traill said the 17 per cent swing against the LNP in the by-election was a message to Premier Campbell Newman and his government, and he warned the Not4Sale campaign – which has been protesting against asset sales – will continue across the State in the lead-up to the next election.
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