Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Joyce for the question. I am a bit shocked to get a policy related question, but, as it involves a trade union, no doubt we will soon dive down into something far less highbrow than a policy question. First of all, Senator—through you, Mr President—I am not aware of the letter sent by the Prime Minister. As you have not made a copy available to me I am not able to provide any assistance in relation to that letter. I am happy to take it on notice if there are issues you wish to raise.

In terms of the privatisation of electricity assets in Australia, I think the minister has made it very clear in the white paper that these are issues for state governments. They own those assets and we have not made pronouncements about what they should do with those assets. There is a healthy debate in the community about the impact of the sale of those assets or the privatisation of those assets. In my own state of Western Australia and, I know, in Queensland, it has been a very contentious issue.

The Commonwealth's role in the energy white paper was to set out the range of issues that need to be tackled and a broad direction, and to encourage the states to deal with the overinvestment in poles and wires, if you like, in an attempt to encourage them to reduce the cost to consumers. But the question about the ownership of electricity assets state by state is a question for the state governments and, as I say, they have traditionally taken a variety of paths in dealing with that. But what this Commonwealth government is interested in is making sure we have enough capacity and reducing the cost to consumers. (Time expired)