Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4112 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, we now know that if Labor is in government in the ACT after next February that would fit very neatly into the plans of the New South Wales Government. Would it not just? But little did I know that all this time the Leader of the Opposition was up in Sydney, sneaking around, having quiet little chats with the New South Wales Labor Government about privatisation. What does that say about a leader of a party that publicly tells us that ACTEW will never be sold and privately tells New South Wales that he is happy to come to some sort of arrangement after the next election? It says a lot, Mr Speaker. It says to the Canberra community that we have a Labor leader who will do anything and say anything to win an election. Can I suggest to Mr Moore that maybe this is the sort of secret agreement - - -

Mr Corbell: People in glass houses should not throw stones, Chief Minister.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I warn you, Mr Corbell.

MRS CARNELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is the sort of secret agreement that maybe should be covered by Mr Moore's legislation governing interstate agreements. This is certainly an interstate agreement. I wonder whether Mr Berry has told the unions that have coverage of ACTEW about his meeting with Mr Carr about privatisation. I wonder whether Mr Berry has told at least one member of the B-team candidates who has argued passionately to retain public ownership of ACTEW about his meetings with Mr Carr. Remember that famous comment by the New South Wales Treasurer at the 1995 Labor Party conference that he would never, never, never, never, never privatise the electricity industry in New South Wales. Remember what happened a few months later. From now on, whenever Mr Berry or Mr Overtime Whitecross says that he will never sell off ACTEW, we know exactly what they mean because we have seen it before. When they make extravagant promises in the run-up to next year's election, we now know how they are going to pay for them.

MR HIRD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I understand from your answer, Chief Minister, that Mr Berry has been planning for a long time to privatise ACTEW. As you understand these discussions that were held with the Premier of New South Wales, is it a Berry plan or is it a Labor plan to privatise ACTEW?

MRS CARNELL: From my information from New South Wales, Mr Berry has had discussions with the Labor Premier of New South Wales about privatisation issues - the privatisation of ACTEW. It does seem that the information that we have been given in this house before may not have been all the truth.

Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I cannot hear the Chief Minister's answer because of the interjections of protestation of Mr Berry's innocence in this matter. I would ask them to be a little quiet.

Mrs Carnell: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .