Electricity Industry Privatisation

Mr ANDREW STONER: My question is directed to the Premier. Given the Premier's recent admission, "I accept that. I can do better in selling and presenting this package", will he now inform the New South Wales public of the status of his backroom deal between Ministers Costa and Della Bosca, union officials and Sussex Street on privatising this State's electricity assets?

The SPEAKER: Order! Government members will remain silent. I call the member for Cessnock to order. I call the member for East Hills to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: What was the deal that got the Leader of the Opposition to sign up to the press statement last Thursday?

Mr Barry O'Farrell: Public interest.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Where was the public interest 12 months ago when the Leader of the Opposition said, in reply to the Budget Speech, "I'm selling retail". Bang! The Leader of the Opposition said, "Peter Beattie did it. I'm selling retail. There is the model. We must consider the consumers, but we've got to think about the workers, too." The Leader of the Opposition then sat down and has not said anything about the issue since then. If members want to know what the program has been in respect of the Government's plan to secure the State's energy needs, I am more than happy to take them through it. In the middle of last year we announced the Owen inquiry, which was a public inquiry that received 75 submissions from industry, trade unions and environmentalists—all the stakeholders who might have an interest in energy policy. Yet we did not get one from Mr O'Farrell, Mr Stoner—

Mr Alan Ashton: Mr Humphries?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: No, not Mr Humphries. However, we got one from the member for Castle Hill. It was a one-page submission thanking Professor Owen for conducting the inquiry and telling Professor Owen that he would be making a submission, that it would be a good idea to secure the State's energy needs and that he agreed with that in total. That was Mr Richardson, who kindly on behalf of the Opposition, thought he was the shadow Minister and put in a submission.

Mr Malcolm Kerr: Point of order: Members should be referred to by their correct titles.

The SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order. Members should be referred to by their correct titles.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: So the inquiry proceeded and concluded. Sometime in September the Government released the inquiry's report. At that time the Government said that it would go away and consider, test and examine the recommendations of the Owen inquiry and in doing so would consult with trade unions, industry, the non-government social welfare sector and environmentalists. And that is what the Government did. In December the Government released its response to the Owen inquiry and at the same time commissioned the Unsworth consultative committee to test the impact of the Government's response. As part of that consultative process the Government appointed people like Mr Angel as a representative of the environmental movement and the Reverend Harry Herbert, as well as trade union representatives. Not long ago in this Chamber I gave the Government's response to the findings of the Unsworth committee. As I have said since the Australian Labor Party New South Wales State conference, the Government is proceeding down this path to secure the State's energy needs and in doing so is having discussions with trade unions.

Mr Andrew Stoner: Point of order: I refer to Standing Order 129. The question was specifically about the status of the dealings, not the process or ancient history. The public want to know what it is: deal or no deal?

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Leader of The Nationals will resume his seat.