NSW Labor has accused the federal government of a “secret privatisation agenda” after a senior minister refused to rule out the potential for promoting off the state’s belongings, saying there’s “nothing wrong with privatisation”.
Speaking on the Property Council of Australia’s Western Sydney Outlook convention, the Liberal Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney, David Elliott mentioned asset recycling will proceed to be an possibility for governments, even when there have been at present no confirmed plans.
“There are no plans for privatisation but that’s not to say that privatisation won’t occur, because there’s nothing wrong with privatisation,” he mentioned on Tuesday morning.
“There is no ideological difference between Labor and Liberal when it comes to privatisation because we’ve both done it, we both do it, and we both will do it.”
He additionally highlighted the sale of Qantas and the Commonwealth Bank which occurred below the federal government of former Labor prime minister Paul Keating.
Furthering his level, Mr Elliott mentioned “there’s no way in the world” that Opposition chief Chris Minns may “put his hand on a Bible right now and say that there will be no privatisation”.
“Saying there will be no privatisation in my mind is dishonest because governments sell assets, governments create industries, create networks, create opportunities, and then they sell it,” he mentioned.
Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey mentioned Mr Elliott’s feedback had been proof of a “secret privatisation agenda”.
In the lead as much as the March 25 state election, Mr Minns has repeatedly criticised the federal government of promoting state-owned belongings, and blames privatisation for the growing prices of energy payments and toll roads.
“Dominic Perrottet and Matt Kean can’t get the story straight on further privatisation from this government,” he advised NCA NewsWire.
“But David Elliott, a member of the government with nothing to lose in the next term of parliament, has come clean about the government’s secret privatisation agenda.”
Mr Elliott denied Mr Mookhey’s allegations.
“Mookhey should get his facts right before he commented because I specifically said there are no plans for further privatisation but Labor have a hide complaining about it given they sold Qantas, The Commonwealth Bank and tried to sell the state’s electricity assets last time they were in power,” he mentioned.
Whether a Coalition authorities would privatise additional state belongings has been a key query confronted by the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Treasurer Matt Kean within the final week.
In the primary chief’s debate of the election marketing campaign, Mr Perrottet mentioned Labor wouldn’t be capable of fund their infrastructure initiatives with out funding from privatisation, a course of Mr Minns likened to “flogging off the family jewels”.
“What you’re saying is, you’re not going to privatise anything. Is that not going to leave you with your hands tied? When it comes to building stuff that NSW needs?” mentioned Mr Perrottet within the radio debate moderated by 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
On Monday, each Mr Kean and Mr Perrottet maintained there are “no plans” for additional privatisation, however cited an financial technique that concerned asset recycling (one other time period for privatisation) and borrowing cash to fund the federal government’s financial technique.
However, beforehand talking to reporters on Friday, Mr Kean unanimously dominated out privatising Sydney Water and Hunter Water.
NCA NewsWire has approached the Premier and the Treasurer’s places of work for remark.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
