NSW: Power plan is world s biggest electoral bribe: Egan

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-1999
NSW: Power plan is world s biggest electoral bribe: Egan

SYDNEY, Feb 14 AAP - The New South Wales opposition's plan to sell off the state's $25
billion power industry was the largest electoral bribe ever, state Treasurer Michael Egan said
today.

The plan announced today includes a minimum $1,000 payout to every household in the state
costing $2.6 billion, $100 cuts to electricity bills over the next three years and more than
$3 billion in infrastructure and redundancy packages.

Mr Egan, himself a strong supporter of power privatisation before it was rejected by the
ALP in 1997, said the electorate would be outraged by an attempt to buy their votes.

"We're not going to embark on a vote-buying splurge which is quite unprecedented," he said.

"I suspect not only in the history of NSW and Australia, but I have never seen an electoral
bribe of this magnitude anywhere in the world."

AAP ns/sb/gl/br

KEYWORD: POLLNSW POWER EGAN

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.