Coalition is no alternative in NSW

Plans by the NSW Liberal/National coalition to cut $3.8 billion in state spending is yet more evidence that the Coalition is no alternative to the Labor Party in New South Wales.

If anything, opposition leader Barry O’Farrell’s plan to cut public sector jobs and services will make things even worse.

O’Farrell is hoping to romp in to government in the March state elections — not because people support his policies, but because people are so fed up with Labor.

NSW voters deserve to know what the Coalition actually stands for, but it has said very little so far about its real policies.

The last time the Coalition was in government, it privatised the State Bank of NSW and the Government Insurance Office.

This time around, it is certain to launch an even greater privatisation push, similar to that of Victoria’s Jeff Kennett government in the 1990s.

O’Farrell has repeatedly refused to rule out the full privatisation of NSW electricity assets, or the sale of other public assets.

But he revealed some of his privatisation agenda in a July 2 interview with the Australian Financial Review.

The paper said: “Mr O’Farrell wants to open the delivery of billions of dollars of public services to the private sector, starting with Sydney Ferries and the water desalination plant.

“He is open to all ideas on private sector involvement, from transport to road maintenance.”

O’Farrell told the AFR: “To restore the confidence and hope that people deserve to have in NSW is a big task and the only way we’re going to deliver that task is in partnership with the private sector.”



O'Farrell has also tried to cast himself a friend of democracy and the environment. But revelations that parts of the Coalition's regional land use policy were written by the mining industry show that he respects neither.

In government Labor has changed laws to allow petroleum and gas exploration in state conservation and drinking water catchment areas and allowed an enormous expansion of mining, including coal seam gas.

The fact that 70% of NSW is now under mineral and petroleum title or application is testament to this.

But just like Labor, the Coalition is hellbent on the further expansion of mining. And this is regardless of community need, health, water or environmental concerns.

The Socialist Alliance is building a pro-people alternative to the Labor and Coalition parties.

We stand for community need not corporate greed. We're committed to reversing privatisation, putting the community in control of services and investing in socially useful jobs and training.

Anything less is no alternative for the people of NSW.

[Paola Harvey is the Socialist Alliance candidate for Keira in the NSW state elections.]