❓ Opposition questions the Premier about potential privatisation of Synergy and Verve after a re-merger, referencing media reports. The Premier denies plans to privatise these utilities, but acknowledges asset sales to manage debt and fund infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 563Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SYNERGY AND VERVE — DE-MERGER
563. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Premier:
I refer to the government's privatisation agenda as
exposed on the front page of The Weekend
West by the Minister for Energy.
(1) After
re-merging Synergy and Verve, does the Premier then have plans to split them?
(2) Why did
the minister indicate that Synergy and Verve, and any successor entities, will
be privatised?
(3) How much
will it cost to merge Verve and Synergy; and then how much will it cost to de-merge
the merged company?
563. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Premier:
I refer to the government's privatisation agenda as
exposed on the front page of The Weekend
West by the Minister for Energy.
(1) After
re-merging Synergy and Verve, does the Premier then have plans to split them?
(2) Why did
the minister indicate that Synergy and Verve, and any successor entities, will
be privatised?
(3) How much
will it cost to merge Verve and Synergy; and then how much will it cost to de-merge
the merged company?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I think I had a question on this yesterday, but I am happy to answer it again.
As part of our budgetary situation and as part of our need to contain debt, we
will perhaps delay—perhaps postpone—some capital projects;
perhaps cancel some. But we will also have an orderly program of selling some
assets. Since this government has come in, it has probably accumulated close to
$40 billion of new assets. To maintain the need for infrastructure in this state,
we will need to not only use current resources, but also find extra capital by
selling some existing assets, as the Treasurer commented yesterday as well. So
that will happen. They will not be assets that will in any way impact on the
wider public. As I said yesterday, we are not going to be privatising the Water
Corporation or Western Power or Verve or Synergy—any of that. That will
not happen.
Mr M. McGowan : Ha!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Well, it will not! I do not know why the Leader of the
Opposition is giggling; it will not happen!
This is hypothetical, as I said on
radio this morning: we may sell a power station—we might. That is not
privatising the utility. But those decisions have not been made, and there will
be no rush to sell—there will be no fire sale as the opposition has tried
to imply to scare people. There will be an orderly program of selling some
assets to reduce debt and to help to fund further infrastructure needed in this
state. That is what we will be doing. There is no plan to merge and then
de-merge and then privatise utilities. That is simply not government policy.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON :
I have a supplementary question.
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Have you got a sore neck, Leader of the Opposition? Are you praying?
The SPEAKER :
Sorry; Treasurer, I call you to order for the first time. I know that you are
concerned about the Leader of the Opposition, but thank you.
Mr P.T. Miles interjected
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON :
Sorry; I did not hear the member for Wanneroo.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time.
I think I had a question on this yesterday, but I am happy to answer it again.
As part of our budgetary situation and as part of our need to contain debt, we
will perhaps delay—perhaps postpone—some capital projects;
perhaps cancel some. But we will also have an orderly program of selling some
assets. Since this government has come in, it has probably accumulated close to
$40 billion of new assets. To maintain the need for infrastructure in this state,
we will need to not only use current resources, but also find extra capital by
selling some existing assets, as the Treasurer commented yesterday as well. So
that will happen. They will not be assets that will in any way impact on the
wider public. As I said yesterday, we are not going to be privatising the Water
Corporation or Western Power or Verve or Synergy—any of that. That will
not happen.
Mr M. McGowan : Ha!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Well, it will not! I do not know why the Leader of the
Opposition is giggling; it will not happen!
This is hypothetical, as I said on
radio this morning: we may sell a power station—we might. That is not
privatising the utility. But those decisions have not been made, and there will
be no rush to sell—there will be no fire sale as the opposition has tried
to imply to scare people. There will be an orderly program of selling some
assets to reduce debt and to help to fund further infrastructure needed in this
state. That is what we will be doing. There is no plan to merge and then
de-merge and then privatise utilities. That is simply not government policy.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON :
I have a supplementary question.
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Have you got a sore neck, Leader of the Opposition? Are you praying?
The SPEAKER :
Sorry; Treasurer, I call you to order for the first time. I know that you are
concerned about the Leader of the Opposition, but thank you.
Mr P.T. Miles interjected
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON :
Sorry; I did not hear the member for Wanneroo.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time.
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