Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his previous answer to the member for Sydney. If he and his government do not support electricity privatisation, why did the Prime Minister sign off on this agreement with Gladys Berejiklian for the privatisation of New South Wales electricity and poles on 3 May 2016?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a decision of the New South Wales government that was taken after an election, where they went to the people of New South Wales. That was their policy measure, their initiative. It was also part of the asset recycling program. As a result, when you go to New South Wales these days, you'll see infrastructure getting built, you'll see an economy which is humming along, you'll see surpluses, you'll see a state government that is delivering important services for the people of New South Wales. In New South Wales they have a government that understands that having a strong economy means you can pay for hospitals, you can pay for schools and you can pay for essential services. If you go to Queensland and you're looking for all that earthmoving equipment and all that infrastructure-building equipment, you've got to look further down the coast because it's all down in New South Wales. That's because there's a state government in New South Wales which is getting on with the job of delivering important infrastructure for the people of New South Wales. I commend the New South Wales government for the economic management and leadership that they've been providing for the people of New South Wales. As a citizen of New South Wales, I'm very pleased to be living in a state that is going ahead and doing well.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the agreement, with the Prime Minister's signature, to the privatisation of New South Wales electricity assets.

Leave not granted.