Tim Nicholls should break vow of silence on asset sales

Treasurer Curtis Pitt says now is a good time for Tim Nicholls to break his two-month vow of silence and reveal his secret policy for asset sales. 

“The reported comments by the ACCC chair Rod Sims questioning the benefits of privatisating public assets makes it imperative Queenslanders know now where Tim Nicholls stands,” Mr Pitt said. 

“Mr Sims has said that selling off assets such as ports and electricity infrastructure can create unregulated monopolies that damage productivity and the wider economy. 

“Surely Queenslanders deserve to know the position on this issue of the person who wants to be premier of the state? 

“It is very simple — either the LNP under Tim Nicholls backs asset sales or it doesn’t. 

“We should have heard the answer from Mr Nicholls as soon as he became LNP leader on 6 May but he has kept his policy secret. 

“He knows the ins and outs of asset sales and all the arguments for and against, yet he keeps silent instead of being honest with Queensland voters.” 

Mr Pitt said Queenslanders could only assume Mr Nicholls’s silence meant asset sales were the LNP’s one-point economic plan. 

“In the past Mr Nicholls has had no problem letting everyone know his position — before the 2012 state election he was against asset sales, yet spent all his time as Treasurer relentlessly pushing asset sales. 

“Mr Nicholls vowed asset sales were off the agenda after the 2015 state election. 

“He became LNP leader on 6 May, but less than two weeks later on 24 May he said his position on asset sales would be known ‘in due course’. 

“It is now more than two months since he made that commitment and he's even delivered his Budget Reply speech but stayed silent on asset sales which appear to be the LNP’s secret and only economic policy.”

Mr Nicholls could consult with Mr Sims who apparently told the Melbourne Economic Forum on Tuesday: ‘I'm now almost at the point of opposing privatisation because it's been done to boost proceeds, it's been done to boost asset sales and I think it's severely damaging our economy.’ 

“Perhaps he should ask Mike Baird for advice given the Liberal NSW government has reportedly moved to delay a potentially embarrassing $520-per-household annual power price hike next year.”  

Mr Pitt said by attacking a number of government revenue measures Mr Nicholls had already dug an $8 billion budget ‘black hole’ for any LNP government. 

“Mr Nicholls needs to explain how he plans to fill that black hole before he starts making any promises to Queensland voters,” he said. 

“In the vacuum he has created we can only assume asset sales are his answer.” 

Mr Pitt said other evidence suggested Mr Nicholls was secretly backing asset sales. 

“We regularly read stories about LNP MPs pushing for asset sales without admitting to it publicly,” he said. 

“There have been reports of LNP MPs suggesting their party needs to mount a ‘succinct and clearer campaign’ to persuade voters to accept asset sales. 

“Their secret policy is why Tim Nicholls and other LNP MPs are always talking down Queensland — to once again try to scare voters into accepting asset sales.”

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