Wednesday 7 May 2008

Sorry, Janelle - Rudd and Iemma just shortened your political honeymoon

When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd openly supported the Iemma-Costa proposal to sell-off NSW electricity retailers he ran the risk of tarring all his MPs with this unpopular brush, because let's face it - Australia is wall to wall Labor governments right now.
It was always going to be a hard ask for federal MPs to retain that just married feeling with their local electorates once the 2008 budget is handed down later this month.
However, a very competent Member for Page just had the goodwill precipitously wrenched away by the infamous privatisation plan.
North Coast residents on low incomes are well aware that no federal or state policy will be able to adequately compensate them for increased electricity costs and service charges.
The introduction of the Commonwealth Goods and Services Tax taught a well-remembered lesson in that regard.
Unfortunately for Janelle Saffin, not even the manifest inadequacy of North Coast Nationals and Leader of the Opposition Brendan Nelson's continual failure to grasp the issues will save her from the inevitable backlash.

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