Mike Baird. I dunno about you...

[i-need-a-martini]

I have said on these borads before that I thought he was genuine and generally I didn't mind him.

But in the lead up to the NSW campaign, he has stooped to standard Liberal tactics of lying through his teeth.

Take his latest pledge - he is going to create 150,000 new jobs. 150,000!! Out of thin air apparently because nothing he has said actually backs this up. In fact, everything he is planning to do will actually throw more people on the unemployment scrap heap.

So how can any man with morals make a statement that is clearly untrue - that just by electing him, he will be able to create enough jobs to put a 20% dent in the current unemployment figures?

[cherry*135]

The following link is a good article on privatisation. Written by an economist editor, not a political statement.

Take rational measures on electricity privatisation issue

I'm never sure who annoy me more, the business types who are certain every business is better run if privately owned, or the lefties who oppose every sale of government-owned businesses on principle.

On the question of privatisation, mindless prejudice is no substitute for rational analysis of the pros and cons. On the tricky question of the "asset recycling" being promoted by Joe Hockey to all state governments with businesses left to sell, careful analysis is essential.

Premier Mike Baird's hugely controversial proposal to sell most of NSW's electricity transmission and distribution network businesses – the "poles and wires" – and use the proceeds to finance $20 billion worth of public transport, road and other infrastructure is a classic example of asset recycling.

It offers a good case study in thinking through the issues, even to people who won't be voting in Saturday's state election.\

You must cover all the relevant major considerations for and against, ignoring considerations that aren't relevant (or are common to both alternatives). You have to remember to take account of opportunity costs as well as actual costs and to avoid any double counting.

It will avoid confusion if we consider the two sides of the proposition separately. First, is it a good idea to sell the poles-and-wires businesses to private owners? Second, assuming the planned infrastructure projects are worthwhile, is privatising businesses the only way available to finance them?

The obvious starting point for consumers is: would selling the businesses lead to electricity prices being higher than they would be under continued public ownership? Or would there be a decline in the quality of service, such as blackouts?

Read more:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/take-rational-measures-on-electricity-privatisation-issue-20150327-1m...

[tezza2844]

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@idlewhile wrote:

Everything points to a Mike Baird win today.

A timely reminder  not lie and scare monger  the voters, they are a wake up to it.

Reform is needed but Labor are still tied to the old ways, union dominated and against change, they have learnt nothing from the Rudd/Gillard failures and the federal labor party are the same, mired in dogma and hogtied by the unions, captured by the Greens.

They are unfit to govern and the voters will tell them that today.

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Mike Baird has apparently found the right formula to win an electio:

Don't invite ABBOTT

[cherry*135]

... put a GAG on Abbott. That was evident.

[icyfroth]

My concern is that the infrastucture they're planning will be put in the hands of private contractors who'll bring in their own workers and when finished users will have to pay toll for the privilege of using the roads, for instance.

Win for the privateers, lose for the australian consumer.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

My concern is that the infrastucture they're planning will be put in the hands of private contractors who'll bring in their own workers and when finished users will have to pay toll for the privilege of using the roads, for instance.

Win for the privateers, lose for the australian consumer.

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I suppose we just wait and see icy. Perhaps the electricity privatisation will be nipped in the bud in parliament. Although I doubt it.

Can only hope the policy is worked out in the same way that the SA one was - spread out over a number of buyers which at least provides competition rather than a monopoly.

[i-need-a-martini]

Anyway congratulations to both men for running a textbook perfect campaign - both seem decent men sticking to party values, both seem honest (a nice change for both parties), both had clear policies and neither resorted to dirty tricks, lies and smears for the other side.

I think Foley did well considering how little time he had to ease into the job and (aside from the privatisation issue, a few unrealistic promises that will never eventuate and some costing holes) Baird has some good policies for the state which are needed after years of neglect. 

[idlewhile]

This will put paid to the cosy union featherbedding and the gold plating of poles and wires that saw prices soar under Labor.

Maybe now the prices will reflect more of what they are providing to the consumers and less of what the raping of customers bank balances unions and Labor  did to NSW.

[debra9275]

I very much doubt that 

[i-need-a-martini]

I think you have no idea what you are talking about. Actually I KNOW you have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Still can't understand why they didn't float it like Telstra.

Maybe some things just can't float.

In any case electricity prices WILL go up.

There was only one moment in history that they actually went down.