NATIONALS MPs Kevin Anderson and Adam Marshall have thrown their weight behind the fast-tracking of the poles-and-wires leasing bill this week into the upper house, despite criticisms the government is ramming the legislation through Parliament.
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Both the state members for Tamworth and Northern Tablelands said they remained steadfast in their support of the power privatisation legislation involving the long-term lease of the electricity network – and were not concerned about the early introduction ahead of the findings of an upper house inquiry.
The state government introduced the bill to the lower house on Tuesday, surprising the likes of the Opposition and Christian Democrats crossbench MP Fred Nile, on whose upper house vote the passage of the bill depends.
It was widely believed the government would only introduce the bill once the findings of the upper house inquiry into the planned lease arrangement are handed down next Tuesday.
The Tamworth-based Mr Anderson said the premier was just getting on with the job.
“The government now has a mandate to the long-term lease and he is progressing it,” Mr Anderson said.
“There will be safeguards and measures in place to keep downward pressure on electricity prices – and Professor Allan Fells will oversee any transaction.”
Mr Marshall, the Armidale-based MP for the sprawling tablelands electorate, said he had full faith in the policy and that the proposal had been debated publicly for 12 months.
He said nothing in the legislation would surprise anyone, because it contained exactly what was spelled out by the premier and the government in the lead-up to the election.
Mr Anderson said he’d spoken in Parliament this week about the long-term lease of 49 per cent of the state’s electricity networks, including of Transgrid, Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy.
“Essential Energy is to remain 100 per cent in government hands,” Mr Anderson said.
“In Tamworth there is a Transgrid distribution substation which employs approximately 65 workers. As the government progresses with the long-term lease of Transgrid, we need to know how it will affect the 65 workers in the Tamworth area.”
He said the legislation included protection measures for employees transferring to the new operators on current terms and conditions, as outlined in their enterprise bargaining agreement.
“Throughout the election campaign, my message was clear,” he said.
“I will be doing everything I can to ensure that those workers are looked after in whatever the landscape looks like and I will continue to do that.
“I will be looking after our workers in the Tamworth electorate. They are important to me and they are important to our community. While it’s important to look after jobs, it is as important to continue the investment in our region.”
Mr Marshall said the lease would bring huge financial and infrastructure benefits to country areas like the northern region.
“I don’t think I’m wrong in saying it was the most high-profile issue by a country mile in the campaign, and I don’t think anyone would be surprised that the government is now proceeding with this, given that it asked the community to re-elect it on the basis that it would do this,” Mr Marshall said.
He was confident country residents’ power bills wouldn’t rise as a result of the arrangement, as the “status quo is maintained”, and $6 billion would go to country NSW.
“That money will be used throughout country NSW, to fix rail lines and roads, for new schools and hospitals, for arts and cultural infrastructure as well as sports infrastructure,” he said.
