Public-Private Partnership: A partnership where risk and overruns go to the public sector, profit to the private sector and political donations to the party in government.

Forrest regards, please believe that I believe every word I write here to be true.
That my party or faction right or wrong is gutlessness and an insult to good government.
Much of what the Sydney Medea has written is lies, yesterday the conference told these few the party's wishes, remember the vote would be unchanged if no unionist was in the room.
I know my faction has given ground many times for the good of the party it must not budge now.
1.5 billion dollars, that is the profit from our power grid for last year.
It will be more maybe 2 billion next year after that? in ten years maybe 5 or even 6 billion profit a year.
Yet we sell for 10 or 15 billion?
It would pay for its self in No more than 8 years, we would not have than annual income ever again.
Why can we not borrow 20 billion now? build two new power stations and spend rest on hospitals?
The annual profits from power could be split half to pay the loan and a reduced amount to top up health [less needed if we spend half that loan]
Today my party's head is silently saying he has no more regard for unions than Howard and no regard for his party.
If union cave in who from among us has the power to say no next time?
This is the time we unionists must say enough! no more!
Why?
every time energy prices rise any energy tax's do too! our nation is driven by high energy tax's about to go higher yet again.
An old union war anthem power to the people never meant more!
Costa lead ,yes he did! the war to stop Carr selling it ,he now wants to add two extras to his sale the union movement and NSW Labor.
23 years was the sentence served last time it may be more this time.
no back down! we must stand and fight or fade away as unworthy.
Labor is not private property or is it?

So Belly
one would say that Rudd also has the same fondness as you have said.
Re the following paragraph.

Today my party's head is silently saying he has no more regard for unions than Howard and no regard for his party.

We know Rudd has backed this sale, he also stuck his nose into the branches and put his own people in for the election so why are you not having a go at him as well.

Soi really the unions want their cake and to eat it too.

And another thing where are all these so called people who used to fight for the workers.

Have nothing to say but what rudd tells them to.
The unions are just a labor patsy and the workers , well they come of second best.
But then again since the unions will get more air time now they may do something.

Stuart Ulrich
Independent

I had thought long and hard about not coming back to the thread.
Stu your input is like throwing a handful of stones into a Christmas pudding mix, of little use.
This debate is not going away, dressed as unions trying to control the ALP it is in fact far more important.
It is government trying to ignore the party.
A state issue yet you throw your stones on behalf of your well named but empty shell party.
On record as opposed to both sides of politics TAPP is going no place , but to use threads to insult without constructing your ideas is pointless.
I fly out to Brisbane in a few hours and may not return to the thread for days but can you not see currently 73% of voters are happy with Rudd?
At this years rate of return 1.5 billion profit the lease and sale of power gives away 150 billion in income much more in fact more than twice that as prices rise over the lease/salegive away period.
The ten billion price is returned in full in 8 years, the rest is profit.
Yet price rises will have to be included?
Is there one word , a commitment? to build a power station in this proposal in the next ten years?
At what cost to the buyer?
Who pays them?
price rises do.

Belly
Even if you are away

That fact still remains that rudd is supporting this sale.

Does that not make you all hypocrites.

You have not denied this or even fought it.

If it gets to hot with those questions you do not want to answer for the people.

If you back rudd you back the sell off.

This is fact

Stuart Ulrich
Independent

Belly, this thread was needed and you were the obvious poster to start it.

The issues and responses raised by all posters here deserve full disclosure in articles and hopefully SusanP will source them.

Although a late starter (been watching with interest) I am not opposed to the sale.

However, if this is to be done, then it is imperative that very strong government regulations must go with it.

This is where the unions can have invaluable input. Negotiate this properly and you/the unions will have served the public well.

As it is, the very public battle we are seeing is doing the unions no good (political opponents are watching bemused).

Mind you, Labor's opponents would conduct such shenanigans behind closed doors! This would IMO be worse.

Make no mistake, no matter what eventuates (deal or no deal), energy costs are going to rise. How these costs are distributed makes it all the more imperative that unions have a say.

Best wishes.