Power privatisation is ripping us off!

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday January 20, 2011 - Paola Harvey, Socialist Alliance candidate for Keira, has promised to never support privatisation of the electricity industry. Today she challenged all candidates to declare the same.

'Electricity must be kept in public hands, not sold off to private interests' , said Harvey. 'Every day brings new revelations about how the government has repeatedly lied to us about the terms of and the so called “benefits” of privatisation. The figures - showing that the sell-off will only net a profit of $400 million - are pitiful compared to the benefits of keeping electricity in public hands.

'$400 million will go no where near covering the costs of increasing electricity prices, unreliability of service, job losses and the damaging environmental impacts that are almost certain to follow from placing electricity in private hands.

'The foolishness of the deal can be seen in the fact that the public will have to pay for development of a highly contentious coal-mine, where the profits will flow to private business. In every single way this deal is a dud for the people of New South Wales.

'We are being ill-served by the Liberal opposition and the mass media who spoke out only against the terms of the sell-off but not against privatisation of public assets on principle. A privately owned power industry, like in Victoria, will push up prices, cut jobs, neglect maintenance and will make it harder to make the transition to clean energy sources.

'A publicly owned electricity industry can and should be run for the public good, whilst a privately owned industry will put profits above and beyond everything else. Privatisation should be rejected full stop and this is what I pledge to argue for in the elections', concluded Harvey.

No new gas at Tallawarra! Renewables now!

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday January 20, 2011 - Paola Harvey, Socialist Alliance candidate for Keira, has called on the NSW government to reverse its January 14 approval for a second gas-fired power station at Tallawarra. Harvey stands for the phasing out of coal and gas-fired power generation and immediate investment in a baseload solar-thermal power station.

'This decision is suicidal in the context of global warming. Australia's power generation is the single biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions. It's urgent we begin the phase out of all fossil fuel based power generation and start the transition to baseload, renewable energy', she said.

'The recent tragic floods highlight the need to act now. While climate change isn't the sole cause of these events, there's undeniable scientific evidence that it is increasing their devastating effects. It's clear that the cost of continuing our reliance on fossil fuels will far outweigh the cost of phasing them out and replacing them with renewable, non-polluting alternatives'.

'The Tallawarra approval is also completely unnecessary to meet our future power needs. With serious implementation of energy saving and demand management, there would be no need for increased electricity generation capacity in NSW. But Liberal and Labor have no interest in this, they are totally tied to the interests of the big polluters.

'I'm standing to put people and the planet ahead of profit. The people of NSW need the Tallawarra approval to be reversed. Instead, the government needs to draw up plans for immediate investment in a baseload, solar-thermal power station, so the phase out of coal and gas-powered generation can start today', Harvey concluded.

Gellatly complicit in theft of public assets!

Wednesday January 19, 2011

MEDIA RELEASE - Socialist Alliance candidate for Keira, Paola Harvey, has condemned Wollongong Council administrator Col Gellatly for his role in the privatisation of NSW electricity assets. She has called for the sacking of the administrators and a return to democracy for Wollongong.

'The case for council elections in Wollongong was clear long before the latest revelations, but they have confirmed what has long been suspected. The administrators aren't serving the people of Wollongong but rather are doing the bidding of the state government', said Harvey.

'While Col Gellatly is an Administrator, at the same time he is chairman of the government's Electricity Reform Taskforce, a job he is being paid $540,000 for. This “reform taskforce” was basically assigned to find a way to privatise the electricity industry as quickly as possible. But when 8 directors of Delta Electricity and Eraring Energy resigned, NSW Treasurer Roozendahl appointed Gellatly to the board and directed him to push through the sale'.

'This is a conflict of interest, as many have have pointed out. More importantly, Gellatly is not only denying the democratic will of the people of Wollongong as an administrator, he is denying the democratic will of the people of NSW, who remain overwhelmingly opposed to privatisation of the electricity industry'.

Socialist Alliance will be using the state election to campaign for fresh elections for Wollongong Council and for reversing the privatisation of electricity.

'Gellatly and the administrators are responsible for many decisions that are already increasing the cost of living for Wollongong citizens; parking meters for example. But Gellatly's role in privatisation is much worse. It will lead to higher electricity prices for all households — something the people of Wollongong cannot afford. Maybe Gellatly himself, who in addition to his $540,000, earns $85,280 for being administrator, should be footing the bill for families that can't afford the extra expenses his actions will cause?

'But we must remember that responsibility for the privatisation remains primarliy with the NSW Labor Party. The people of Wollongong are being ill-served by local MP's who have supported privatisation every step of the way. The only way to ensure that public assets will no longer be sold is to reject the politics of both Labor and Liberal parties and vote for parties committed to keeping public assets in public hands', Harvey concluded.

Together we are stronger!

Paola Harvey and Jess Moore's open letter to the progressive community in Wollongong was published in today's letters section of the Illawarra Mercury.

The letter appeals for community minded and progressive campaigners to work together to provide a real alternative to the major parties, particularly in the context of the political crisis facing Labor in NSW. Check it out here.

SA candidate for Legislative Council: No new coal!

Below is Patrick Harrison's speech to 'Carols at the Colliery', an action held on Tuesday December 21, 2010 in Russell Vale (just north of Wollongong) to protest a proposed coal expansion.

"Hello, my name is Patrick Harrison. I am a Legislative Council candidate for the Socialist Alliance in the upcoming NSW state elections; I'm also a climate activist involved in the campaign for 100% renewable energy at the University of Wollongong.

The Socialist Alliance opposes all new coal development and infrastructure. It's what the science demands we do, and the alternatives to coal are ready to go. The expansion of the Gujarat NRE No.1 colliery is a threat to local residents' health and safety, it's a threat to precious drought-resistant water supplies throughout the region, and it will lead to a massive increase in the amount of coal trucks on our roads, further threatening health and safety as well as adding to the pollution already being generated by the mine".

For full speech visit: http://socialistalliancewollongong.blogspot.com/2010/12/socialist-candidate-patrick-harrison-no.html

Stop the sell-off; stop the price increases!

Friday December 17, 2010

MEDIA RELEASE - Paola Harvey, Socialist Alliance candidate for Keira in the NSW state election, has announced she supports a freeze on electricity price increases for households. Her statement comes after an Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) survey that shows more than half of all low-income families with mortgages are struggling to pay their power bills.

'The people of NSW, most of whom are already struggling with cost of living expenses, saw electricity price increases in July. Over the next three years prices are set to rise by at least 20% and up to 64%. These are increases that many people simply cannot afford and will drive people further into debt. The government needs to put controls in place that will guarantee no further price increases for households', said Harvey.

'At the same time, we need to stop all discounts given to big business. In 2005-2006 the fossil fuel industry was given up to $1.9 billion worth of electricity subsidies across Australia. Imagine if this money was used instead to help those low-income earners, or used to invest in clean, renewable energy? People shouldn't have to put up with price increases while the big polluters are receiving handouts.

Harvey stands for keeping public assets in public hands, including opposition to the privatisation of electricity. She announced her support for the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) statement that the union wouldn't support candidates who support privatisation.

'Bernie Riordon, ETU Secretary, was sacked as NSW ALP President for his union taking a principled stand that they cannot support candidates who support electricity privatisation. This shows how out of touch the Labor Party is. How could the ETU support the Labor government, which has already privatised electricity assets, which will see job losses, price increases, less reliable service and less environmental safeguards, as has been the case in Victoria and South Australia?

'The fact is that the vast majority of people in this state want to keep electricity in public hands. As a candidate, I pledge to fight for the annulment of the sale of recently sold electricity assets, which was done in an undemocratic and secretive manner and oppose the further privatisation of the electricity network. I will be guided by the principle that public assets should be held in public hands and should be used for the public good', Harvey concluded.

To the progressive community in Wollongong

Thursday December 16, 2010

Dear friends,

In the lead up to the NSW state election support for Labor is at an all-time low. Satisfaction with the NSW Labor party has dropped to 23% (Newspoll), this is the second lowest rating in history. The Liberal's approval rating is 46% and the Greens 17%, just 6 points less than Labor. The coalition leads Labor 63% to 37% on a two-party-preferred basis. This is the largest split recorded by Newspoll, with the exception of federal Labor's lead over the Coalition at the height of Kevin Rudd's popularity at the beginning of 2008.

The reasons for this are clear. Labor's hugely unpopular privatisation push has alienated supporters, continual scandals and corrupt conduct have destroyed trust and the undemocratic Part 3A legislation has been used to run rough-shod over communities. Locally, the people of Wollongong and Shellharbour still do not have the democratic right to an elected local government, the result of a state government decision.

What is clear is that the decline in support for Labor will likely result in a Liberal government unless we find the ways to build a progressive team that puts forward an alternative, recognising that we are not united behind one party or group at this time.

Of course this need, while abundantly clear in the current political context, goes beyond the state election. Building progressive alternatives and resistance is always needed. Furthering collaboration and relationships and finding the ways to work together whenever there is agreement is an essential part of this.

Waiting for a broad progressive team will only mean delay, and with it our ability to put people and the planet before profit. A progressive team will have to be consciously developed.

There is a great deal of common ground in terms of what people believe is needed. Commonly supported candidates in elections, shared campaigns, and broad inclusive discussions would help maximise our effectiveness. However, we support all steps toward collaboration.

So if you are interested in working together for social justice, sustainability and democracy; in looking for agreement before disagreement; and in building progressive alternatives and resistance broadly; please contact us.

Comradely,

Jess Moore and Paola Harvey

Socialist Alliance

Jess Moore: 0416 232 349 or jmoorejmoore@gmail.com

Paola Harvey: 0416 118 612 or paola.harvey@gmail.com