AUSTRALIA
Stop the power sell-off once and for all
Kerry Smith
13 September 2008
The dumping or resignation of half a dozen ministers from the NSW Labor government over the last fortnight — brought on by internal warfare over the cabinet’s refusal to scrap its electricity privatisation plan — has still not convinced the new premier and ALP power-brokers to drop the plan altogether.
Strengthening the union and community campaign to force the government to back down and keep NSW power in public hands is therefore crucial, and Power to the People in Sydney is organising a number of campaign activities over coming weeks.
On September 20, it will hold an information stall, banner-signing and petition campaign from 11am in Sydney Town Hall Square. The group will hold its next campaign organising meeting on September 22, 6pm, in the AMWU Council Room, Tom Mann Building, Devonshire Street, Sydney. All opponents of electricity privatisation are encouraged to attend.
There will also be a lunchtime action outside NSW Parliament House on September 23, the first day of sitting. As well, a new model motion against the power sell-off has been produced for putting to as many workplaces, union bodies and other organisations as possible.
The motion has already been unanimously passed by the Concord Hospital Branch of the NSW Nurses Association. It states:
“This meeting of [union/workplace/organisation] calls on the NSW state government, the premier and cabinet to respect the opinions of 86% of people in NSW, and to abandon, once and for all, any plans to privatise NSW electricity (including retail, generation and distribution).
“We express our concern with recent media reports that the sell-off of electricity retail may still be on the government’s agenda, and we commit to active solidarity and support with the continuing union and community campaign against the sell-off.
“While affirming our opposition to the sell-off of electricity retail, we also acknowledge the threats against other public services such as transport, including Sydney Ferries, rail maintenance, roads and water, and commit to support an ongoing campaign to save our public services and to keep them in public hands.”
For more information about the campaign, phone Colin Drane on 0419 698 396 or Susan Price on 0400 320 602.
