SYDNEY — Three hundred people crowded into Balmain Town Hall on November 7 to protest against the state Labor government's threats to privatise Sydney's ferries. The public meeting was organised by the Save our Sydney Ferries (SOS) campaign.
Maritime Union of Australia's Paul Garrett told the audience: "Sydney ferries are an international icon. In Canada, the ferry system in British Columbia was privatised three years ago, and now the least profitable services have been axed.
"The workers of Sydney ferries have had enough. The ferries, trains and buses are all part of the public transport system, which we have to keep in public hands. We've got to keep this fight going!"
ALP state member for Balmain Verity Firth tried to reassure the meeting that she was "strongly hopeful" that the upcoming recommendation of the government's "market testing" process would be to keep to ferries in public hands. Few in the audience seemed convinced.
Jamie Parker, Greens mayor of Leichhardt Council, said his council had previously passed a resolution opposing the market testing of Sydney Ferries. "The market testing process itself seeks to undermine our confidence in the public sector", he said.
"We're here to fight this government, to make sure Sydney Ferries remains in public hands."
The meeting passed a motion defending public ownership of Sydney Ferries.