Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my home state of New South Wales, between 2009 and 2013, there was a 100 per cent increase in the number of households that had their electricity cut off—disconnected. In fact, last financial year 33,000 households were cut off—just in New South Wales.

This brings me to the current New South Wales election campaign. Currently, we are seeing the most dishonest, the most deceitful and the most hypocritical election campaign, run by the New South Wales Labor Party, in our nation's history. It is all based on a big lie—a big lie that the supposed sale of poles and wires will increase electricity prices. They repeat this lie over and over, hoping that the public will believe it. But the public is waking up to this. Firstly, people are realising that it is not a sale; it is a lease—a lease of just 49 per cent. That money from the lease enables the state government to invest more in schools, hospitals, roads and education—not only throughout New South Wales, but also in my electorate of Hughes.

But the good news is that other people are speaking out about this complete and utter deception. We have the Chair of the ACCC saying electricity prices will be lower if this privatisation is allowed to go ahead. We have also heard from prominent Labor members. The former Treasurer Michael Egan, said in 1997:

I am pressing on with electricity privatisation because as I have pointed out on numerous occasions, I think it is the best course for NSW, for the people of NSW, job creation in NSW and every community throughout … NSW.

Mark Latham, a former Labor leader, someone who the Labor Party wanted to have as Prime Minister of this country, said:

The only conclusion any sensible person can draw is that electricity privatisation is overwhelmingly good for NSW. What I'm worried about with Luke Foley is the denial of facts.

Then you have Michael Costa, who called the campaign 'lie after desperate lie'. He said the failure to proceed with the electricity privatisation in the past:

… has resulted in a small, privileged special interest group, the electricity unions, maintaining their advantages at the expense of the general good.

Finally, there is Martin Ferguson, the former Labor minister in this government. He said:

It's just deliberately misleading the public, creating unnecessary fear and trying to scare people into voting for Labor not on merit but on misinformation. In many ways I am ashamed of the Party.

There is a simple test. Federal members of the Labor Party from New South Wales should be standing up and exposing this campaign of deception, lies and hypocrisy.