Yes we have a philosophy of not allowing Govts to own enterprises these days because the assumption is that Govts cannot run businesses.They are just too inefficient and incompetent.Well why do we not even try to reform our slothful bureaucracies?China wants to buy our power.How can a communist Govt turn a profit and provide new generating capacity when our own Govts cannot?
It is all about Govts negating their responsibilities.Give the RBA more power,sell off public assets so Govts cannot be held accountable.Why bother having govts at all?

A good post David Boaz.

The Coalition of the willing privatised Iraqi OIL. Venezuala want to Nationalise it's own oil. Can you imagine if our own oil was not privatised it would then be accountable to us the tax payer. Can you imagine if the Commonwealth Bank was not privatised it certainly would not be crucifying its customers and borrowers as it is today it would be keeping the rest of the Banks honest. This is why we need a National State Bank that would start operating from the Australian Post Offices. Look how Qantas now have delays due to poor maintenance when it was in the tax payers hands it was the safest in the world. Look at the power cuts we have in Western Australia because part of it has to rely on a certain amount of privatisation due to privatisation. Telstra was in the wrong hands during the Howard years and now it is no longer accountable to Government.

Hi team...it should be clear to all of us by now that there are many dimensions to this issue... and some of those are very dark!

Points from Foxy:

"Inflated Price" of the selloff.... oooh yes! Imagine,

a) The State 'needs' money.
b) To 'get' lots of the green stuff it must get a good price for the assets.
c) To get a good price it must be an 'attractive' proposition for a private company.
d) For it to be 'attractive' one suspects that the evil government will offer 'incentives' such as:
i) Non interference/caps on pricing for a given period.
ii) No legislation which impinges on shareholder value by making decisions such as the planned implementation of alternative or high efficiency energy.

SO.. MR IEMMA.. FESS UP! OUT WITH IT... TELL US THE TRUTH!

Then, it still comes back to those mentioned by Oliver "elite at the pinnacles of their current career paths" who now want to go to the next level. (from "High powered public service beurocrat" to Higher powered private company executive!)

Yes.. Private companies CAN do this kind of thing 'best' UNDER a given context...with defined limits.

BUT.. once privatization occurs..then its the struggle for either monopoly or virtual monopoly, buying out other stake holders and finally UNCONSCIONABLY EXPLOITING "us" with this new power for the sake of their precious 'share holders' and EXECUTIVE BONUS's.

Foxy,

Excellent quote re the effective imposition of a price cap on electricity. Who was the author? It completely deals with EasyTimes view expressed here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1732#33977 .

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia is a published document, repeatedly reproduced in the Australian Year Books. Surely any foreign investor would be aware that just because one State may have seen its way clear to sell off its utilities, there could be no automatic guarantee that any, or every, other State would do so?

For experienced foreign investors to have failed to take into account the implications of our Constitution, and the pronounced historical reluctance of Australian electors to approve any change to it, is evidence of either extreme naievety and incompetence, or some seemingly well-based contempt for our Constitutionally established process of governance.

Do these foreign investors know something about the 'buyability' of Australian public policy or electoral outcomes that is not yet well known to the Australian public?

B_D,

I have to disagree that 'SHAME' is the name of the game that will do it. The present NSW government seemingly knows no shame.

I think that GAME is the name that could do it! Game, as in Sir Phillip Game, former Governor of NSW!

DISMISSAL!

Only possible in a Constitutional Monarchy.

What am I saying?! Back to the future!

Getting rid by way of dismissal of just one State government would seem nowhere near adequate to rid our body politic of this sell-out malaise, and the inferred underlying corruption of the electoral process that seems may have enabled it. Any presently prospective alternative would also be a 'pre-selected elite'!

Could not our Governor-General get rid of ALL such sell-out 'pre-selected elites' in one fell swoop, given that he is responsible for maintaining this indissoluble Federal Commonwealth? Could he not co-ordinate the appointment of ministries in all seven Parliaments if the Constitution has been so sabotaged? Could he not appoint from among a cohort, pre-selected by lot, long, long ago??

Carthago delenda est!

Exellent point Forest.. CATHAGO DELENDA EST ! Indeed..

and.. dare I say it, to 'spiritualize' the situation in a minor way...

We are faced with a political and economic CARTHAGE in the form of this government! Yes, they are very good with trade.. 'their' trade.. for 'their' benefit... but we poor 'Romans' ? hmmmm we can simply watch.. and be dismayed... while they carry on with their deals and their political "merchants" use their strategic position...for bigger wealth creation... not for the state or the people of course, but for themselves!

We NEED many Cato like figures, who are prepared to speak out... and outline in bullet point form what they WILL do..not 'might' do, and they need to sign a contract of resignation IF they DON'T do it..
i.e.. actually structure any contract for the benefit of THE PEOPLE!

I'm not against selling the asset per se....I'm against selling the asset and SELLING OUT THE PEOPLE... in the process.

So..let us continue with the motto..CARTHAGO DELENDA EST! and apply it in non violent terms to this unspeakably shameless government and all like it.

WHERE IS CATO in the opposition ranks? WHERE?

Speak UP Cato.. we need you!

Urilities should run down in bank money to repair them in twenty years. But politicians don't think that way only about relection, their own power and pockets. The US super road system is starting fall apart and there is no money to repair it. Here in Oz it the two big parties thta have done the same thing. Ieema is just buying two terms and then what?

Even outside of government I have always voted against demutualisation. I am not a commie or a socialist, it is just Board's concerns by law become shareholder profit to client benefit, especially monopolies and oligopolies. Profit? They may take minutes in the Boad but not in the Tattersalls clubs.