Media Release
Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt has called on the Premier to
recommit to his pledge of April last year not to sell off Queensland’s
electricity network assets.
“Campbell Newman has broken promise after promise after promise. Queenslanders will remember how he promised he had a plan and he would lower electricity prices but failed,” Mr Pitt said.
“He promised to lower water prices but failed. He said he would lower unemployment to 4%, yet right now it’s above 6%."
“The Premier made a commitment in the Queensland Parliament last year that he would never sell Queensland’s electricity network assets, and Labor is going to hold him to that promise.”
“So let me be absolutely clear today that we decided to not consider divestment of Energex, Ergon or Powerlink to pay down the debt… and we certainly will not be seeking any mandate to undertake a sale of those assets at the next election.”
(Newman, Parliament, April 2013)
“For the Premier to commit to that in public, then begin a series of scoping studies into a potential sell-off of electricity network assets, just demonstrates how he can’t be trusted to keep his word,” Mr Pitt said.
Mr Pitt was speaking at the release of a new report revealing Queenslanders are set to lose billions of dollars if Campbell Newman and the LNP broke their promise and sell off the state’s electricity assets.
The report, released today by Professor John Quiggin and commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union, showed that if the Borbidge Government had followed through on their threat to sell electricity assets in 1996, taxpayers would’ve lost returns in the order of $15 billion.
“The Treasurer says selling our electricity assets will supercharge the economy, but what he really means is they will charge ‘super prices’ for electricity and make life even tougher for Queensland families,” Mr Pitt said.
“As Professor Quiggin’s report shows, selling off these assets will cost Queenslanders billions of dollars. That’s money that could be used to put downward pressure on electricity prices."
“The Victorian model of electricity privatisation has led to higher power bills and more blackouts, and that’s in a state one-eighth the size of Queensland."
“Anyway you look at it, Campbell Newman’s potential electricity asset sale won’t deliver cheaper electricity for families, it won’t deliver a more reliable network and it won’t deliver a stronger Queensland budget over the long-term.”
“The Premier can call it ‘private investment’ or a ‘non-share equity interest’ – he can call it whatever he wants – but it is still privatisation."
“An electricity sell-off now would just compound the cost of living pressures being experienced under this LNP Government."
“Already, prices went up by 22.6% on average this year, with another 13.6% increase slated for next year."
“Queenslanders have made themselves abundantly clear. They want Campbell Newman to deliver on his promise not to sell electricity assets, and they want him to deliver on his promise to lower electricity prices."
“The Premier has already failed to lower power prices, he shouldn’t betray the trust of Queenslanders and sell off their electricity assets."
Other quotes by Campbell Newman:
“The poles and wires transmissions stuff, I believe, should be owned by the people because they are natural monopolies”
“My vision for the electricity sector is that we have a government-owned, world’s best practice, efficient operation owned by the people of Queensland. That is what I would like to see.”
(Newman, November 2012)
“So let me be absolutely clear today that we decided to not consider divestment of Energex, Ergon or Powerlink to pay down the debt… and we certainly will not be seeking any mandate to undertake a sale of those assets at the next election.”
(Newman, Parliament, April 2013)
“Campbell Newman has broken promise after promise after promise. Queenslanders will remember how he promised he had a plan and he would lower electricity prices but failed,” Mr Pitt said.
“He promised to lower water prices but failed. He said he would lower unemployment to 4%, yet right now it’s above 6%."
“The Premier made a commitment in the Queensland Parliament last year that he would never sell Queensland’s electricity network assets, and Labor is going to hold him to that promise.”
“So let me be absolutely clear today that we decided to not consider divestment of Energex, Ergon or Powerlink to pay down the debt… and we certainly will not be seeking any mandate to undertake a sale of those assets at the next election.”
(Newman, Parliament, April 2013)
“For the Premier to commit to that in public, then begin a series of scoping studies into a potential sell-off of electricity network assets, just demonstrates how he can’t be trusted to keep his word,” Mr Pitt said.
Mr Pitt was speaking at the release of a new report revealing Queenslanders are set to lose billions of dollars if Campbell Newman and the LNP broke their promise and sell off the state’s electricity assets.
The report, released today by Professor John Quiggin and commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union, showed that if the Borbidge Government had followed through on their threat to sell electricity assets in 1996, taxpayers would’ve lost returns in the order of $15 billion.
“The Treasurer says selling our electricity assets will supercharge the economy, but what he really means is they will charge ‘super prices’ for electricity and make life even tougher for Queensland families,” Mr Pitt said.
“As Professor Quiggin’s report shows, selling off these assets will cost Queenslanders billions of dollars. That’s money that could be used to put downward pressure on electricity prices."
“The Victorian model of electricity privatisation has led to higher power bills and more blackouts, and that’s in a state one-eighth the size of Queensland."
“Anyway you look at it, Campbell Newman’s potential electricity asset sale won’t deliver cheaper electricity for families, it won’t deliver a more reliable network and it won’t deliver a stronger Queensland budget over the long-term.”
“The Premier can call it ‘private investment’ or a ‘non-share equity interest’ – he can call it whatever he wants – but it is still privatisation."
“An electricity sell-off now would just compound the cost of living pressures being experienced under this LNP Government."
“Already, prices went up by 22.6% on average this year, with another 13.6% increase slated for next year."
“Queenslanders have made themselves abundantly clear. They want Campbell Newman to deliver on his promise not to sell electricity assets, and they want him to deliver on his promise to lower electricity prices."
“The Premier has already failed to lower power prices, he shouldn’t betray the trust of Queenslanders and sell off their electricity assets."
Other quotes by Campbell Newman:
“The poles and wires transmissions stuff, I believe, should be owned by the people because they are natural monopolies”
“My vision for the electricity sector is that we have a government-owned, world’s best practice, efficient operation owned by the people of Queensland. That is what I would like to see.”
(Newman, November 2012)
“So let me be absolutely clear today that we decided to not consider divestment of Energex, Ergon or Powerlink to pay down the debt… and we certainly will not be seeking any mandate to undertake a sale of those assets at the next election.”
(Newman, Parliament, April 2013)
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