It amazes me that when Morris Iemma fell on his sword after his failed attempt to privatise electricity infrastructure that the then state Opposition who opposed the sell-off obviously considered it bad for the state. 

For at least four years now the people of NSW have suffered ever increasing electricity price hikes due to the neglect of our electricity infrastructure by the former Labor government. Prior to 1995 this belonged to the people of this state when the distribution network was under the care, control and management of county councils. 

We know we owned this infrastructure locally when the former Peel Cunningham County Council (PCCC) superbly administered our infrastructure and actually provided a great service. Many readers would remember this. It was when we paid around 10 cents a kilowatt hour for electricity consumption. 

Tamworth has a proud electrical history, being the first municipality in the southern hemisphere to switch on incandescent street lighting. Other than our electrical museum everything else has been taken by the state. Even the PCCC headquarters, Ray Walsh House, had to be purchased back from Bob Carr’s Labor for copious millions of ratepayers’ funds. 

Now we know that these changes weren’t good locally, so how does the NSW treasurer justify his remarks that selling off the generators will be good for our state? It won’t and electricity prices will continue to rise when the new owner(s) take charge. 

Next to be sold will be the poles and wires. We know the government is getting ready to. 

This is the last control the state will have to determine our already excessive electricity prices. I am calling for our state Nationals MPs in the Legislative Council and Assembly to not be persuaded. This is bad for our great state; bad for the people of this great state and bad for Nationals MPs who need to stand up for their electorates on the NSW north coast and west of the Great Dividing Range. 

After electricity will come water as sure as we know that night follows day.