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April 4, 2008
It increasingly looks as if the NSW Lemma Government is increasingly at odds with the reform thrust of the Rudd Government. It has been captured by property developers, appears to be corrupt, and it just doing what is needed to stay in power.
Alan Moir
t dragging its heels on water reform, opposes performance targets for its public hospitals and is now talking about climate change in terms of the approach of the true believers within the Rudd Government mugging the economy and scaring away foreign investors.
The latter is argued by NSW Treasurer Michael Costa, a climate change sceptic, who articulates the views of the NSW Labor Right. He argues that the burden imposed on the coal-fired power electricity sector and big power users through addressing climate change with emissions trading is too great and would result in a capital flight by overseas investors.
Costa is trying to protect the value of NSW's state owned generators that are to be privatised in the next 18 months and is doing so by pushing the commonwealth to compensate NSW generators with free permits.
The problem with Costa's proposal for carbon freebies--free emission permits as a form of compensation for his energy friends --- is that there would be nothing to curb the demand for fossil fuel-fired electricity under the proposed emissions trading scheme. So we have naked self-interest masquerading as public policy.
Why not use the money raised by the auction of future emission permits be redistributed to households and regions and communities adversely affected by the policy?
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On other fronts the Iemma gov't is setting the pace. Mr Iemma is now announcing a new rail line every week which is more than the other states. Last week he announced the Balmain - Brookvale rail line and next week it will be the Harris Park - Hurstville rail line. Mind you, he hasn't promised to build them.