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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2740 ..

MR OSBORNE: I need a drink of water. Mr Speaker, my concern is that this is the first step. I am sure the government will stand up and say this does not mean privatisation, that it doesn't mean this and it doesn't mean that, but I will read a few quotes from Hansard. It seems to be the night for Hansard.

Ms Tucker: Be careful now.

Mr Quinlan: Yes, be careful. Has it been checked?

MR OSBORNE: This has been checked. This is from when Actew was corporatised, the same type of thing. I will read some of the things that were said by the proponents of that. I quote:

With regard to structuring our public utility ... we have chosen to introduce a corporatisation model rather than privatisation. This is a deliberate commitment to maintain essential infrastructure in public ownership for the benefit of the community.

How long did that last, Mr Speaker? I have got more. Here we go:

If you see this as a staging post towards privatisation, it would be that only if it were seen by members of the community as showing up the need on ACTEW's part for there to be a more efficient operation, one which could not be delivered under government control; but that is not the position we are in today.

I might as well withdraw the word "Actew" and put in "ACTION". The quote continues:

We believe that ACTEW-

ACTION-

needs to be retained by the government sector; and it will be, under this model. It is quite false and dishonest for those opposite-

those few on the crossbench rather than those opposite-

to suggest that this is in fact some form of clandestine privatisation.

There is more, Mr Speaker. I quote:

Let me start by saying that my own concerns go way beyond the simplistic slogans we hear about this being just some form of privatisation. As far as I am concerned, that is simply nonsense.

There is plenty more, Mr Speaker, but I will sit down and listen to the debate. I look forward to hearing some good ideas. Mr Kaine said to me this morning that he thought I was looking forward to the former minister standing up and telling me why this needs to be done. I want to know how he can guarantee that the workers are going to be better off under this new model; how everything that has been offered now to them cannot be delivered with ACTION staying where they are.

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