Community rallies against "thief Bligh"

Chanting "stop Bligh, stop thief — she'd even sell her grandma's teeth!" and "community action is what we need, no sell-off to corporate greed", 100 people marched to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's West End office on August 15.

The rally was organised by Save Our Public Assets (SOPA).

Rally-goers were furious at the State Labor government's planned sale of Queensland's publicly-owned non-passenger rail, ports, forestry and motorways.

The march also included the "Billionaires for Privatisation" who thanked Bligh for letting them get their hands on Queensland's public assets.

The satirical "billionaires" lampooned the Bligh government's appointment of Merrill Lynch and the Royal Bank of Scotland as advisors on the sale — even though both banks were implicated in the financial crisis and were bailed out with public money.

At the rally, Scott Wilson from the Electrical Trades Union spoke of the Queensland-wide campaign his union has launched. He said there was enormous anger in regional areas where the sell-off might destroy entire towns.

Libby Connors from the Greens, Ray Ferguson from the Australian Superannuants and Pensioners League and Dave Matters from the Rail Tram and Bus Union also addressed the crowd.

Paul King, a member of the South Brisbane branch of the ALP, which voted for Bligh's explusion from the party because of the privatisation policy, spoke in a personal capacity.

For information on SOPA's campaign, phone Paul on 0410 629 088.

From GLW issue 808