Electricity Industry Privatisation

Mr ANDREW STONER: My question is directed to the Premier. How can the Premier claim to be dealing openly with the sale of this State's electricity assets when there was no mention of it in the State Plan or the State Infrastructure Strategic Plan?

The SPEAKER: Order! Government members will come to order. I call the Minister for Small Business to order.

Mr ANDREW STONER: He kept it secret from the New South Wales public until after the 2007 election and he conspired with Kevin Rudd to keep the sell-off on the backburner until after last year's Federal election.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: All this from an Opposition whose policies are written by Nick Greiner!

[Interruption]

The State Plan is another document that Opposition members have not read. The State Plan talks about securing the State's energy needs.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Murray-Darling to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: There were 71 public submissions to the Owen inquiry, an inquiry that ran several months. There was consultation with stakeholders, trade unions, businesses, environmental groups—

Mr Andrew Stoner: Trade unions?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Yes, stakeholders. The Leader of The Nationals might laugh, but trade unions are legitimate stakeholders—of course they are. They represent workers, in case he did not notice. What preparation did he make? What advice did he give the public when he stood up in support of Mr O'Farrell on the night he made his speech in reply to the budget? Nothing. Again more dishonesty, more contradictory statements from the Leader of The Nationals.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Clarence will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: A week ago he had one of his shadow Ministers create the impression that The Nationals would block any moves to reform the electricity industry that came to Parliament. Last week the Leader of the Opposition stood up and said on behalf of the Leader of The Nationals, "Oh no, no, no, there is a clarification. They haven't come to a position yet." On the one hand, yes, on the other hand, no; on the one hand, no, on the other hand, yes. Or, as the Leader of the Opposition so eloquently said last week, "There are some assets you sell and some assets you don't sell." Yes, some days the sky is blue and other days it is not.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for East Hills to order.