Labor heavyweight Martin Ferguson has heaped praise on conservative Premier Mike Baird and urged the ALP to reconsider its opposition to electricity privatisation should it lose the NSW election.
The former federal resources minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments blasted Opposition Leader Luke Foley for "rank opportunism" and "blatant scaremongering" over his promise to keep the Pilliga Forest free from coal seam gas, threatening a large Santos project in the area.
Mr Ferguson, who is chairman of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association Advisory Board, made the comments at a gas industry forum in Sydney.
He also praised Mr Baird's courage to outline his vision on the politically tricky area of electricity privatisation.
"I think it's actually quite courageous to take on a major policy debate in this day and age and to risk political oblivion as Michael Baird has done in terms of the potential outcome of the election," he told reporters at the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference.
Mr Ferguson even seemed to liken Mr Baird to former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam.
"If the Baird government wins the debate about privatisation, I must say to be fair, now I think back to the way Whitlam took on the `72 election; he actually had a platform of change. He went out and argued it and won the right to do things," he said.
"If Luke Foley actually loses on Saturday, then I think he should revisit his announcement of last weekend in terms of privatisation."
Mr Ferguson denied his criticisms of Mr Foley's stance are to help the coalition at the polls, or that he had any intention of leaving Labor.
He says he has long held - and been vocal - about his views on privatisation.
"That was my position as the minister, and may I also remind you when Labor was in government from 2007 to 2013, the federal Labor government supported the endeavours of Queensland Labor and NSW Labor to actually privatise the electricity system," he said.
"So I'm the one that has been consistent all the way through."
Share
