What isn’t for sale under Mike Baird? That’s the question that needs answers, says the State Member for Campbelltown, Greg Warren.
He posed the question following reports that NSW Land and Property Information (LPI) could be sold off.
“This government is clearly addicted to the sugar hit of asset sales,’’ says Mr Warren.
“Mike Baird is happy to enjoy short term gain and ignore long term pain.
“The revenue base of the state is being destroyed by this government. The LPI’s profit last year was enough to pay for more than 400 teachers or nurses across the state’s schools and hospitals. How are these vital services funded once the profitable arms of government are sold-off?’’
Mr Warren says that over the past four years LPI has returned $760 million in revenue to the state’s coffers, with a profit of more than $113 million.
Privatising LPI will only lead to increased costs for title searches, accessing property information and using mapping and spatial tools, he says.
And it’s all because Mr Baird has been unable to resolve a rift in his own cabinet over stadia funding.
“Stadia upgrades were supposed to be funded by the sale of the electricity network,’’ Mr Warren said.
“But now, because the cost has blown out and there is a war within the Baird Government about which one should be given priority – they are going to simply hock another profitable government asset.”
