Costa's electricity sell-off hits the people power wall

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "Treasurer Costa has wedged his own government.

"Premier Iemma and the Labor caucus can either rein him in and back down on the sell-off or they can blunder on with the increasingly unpopular scheme and pay the political price.

"The rally outside Parliament House on the first day of sitting will make many members of caucus very nervous.

"It is one thing to allow themselves to be bullied into a 1980s-style privatisation. It is entirely more difficult to explain their betrayal of party policy to angry community members, unionists and supporters.

"Their task is made much more difficult by Michael Costa's failure to convincingly refute the arguments against privatisation.

"The Treasurer cannot continue to dismiss the emerging reality of carbon trading costs, turmoil in the stock market and the loss of state revenues.

"Sooner or later he has to admit that much of the planning of the sell-off was based on wrong assumptions and a misreading of the future of the industry.

"As the case for the sell-off falls apart, the rally outside parliament and the release of the first independent opinion poll showing overwhelming opposition to electricity privatisation will increase pressure on government backbenchers.

"The Greens will be well represented in today's rally. Like the overwhelming majority of the community, they are angry that this irreversible sell-off is being pushed through despite the inevitable job losses, environmental damage and pressure on household energy bills," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

• For images from the rally, click here
  
• For a YouTube clip of John speaking at the rally, click here
• For media coverage of the event - see articles in the Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald