Greens call for ban on privatisation in Victoria until inquiry takes place

2023-02-13

The Victorian Greens have introduced a motion to the Victorian Parliament calling for a moratorium on privatisation until Parliament can investigate its impacts.

The Greens want to see a parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of privatisation, and legislation passed that would veto the privatisation of public assets.

They say until these things happen, privatisation in Victoria should be banned.

Over the years, the Victorian Labor Government has embarked on the biggest privatisation agenda since Kennett.

They have privatised the Port of Melbourne, the Land Titles Office, VicRoads’ licensing and registration function, and public housing land.

They have also extended Transurban’s control of toll roads and continued the privatisation of public transport.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for economic justice, Sam Hibbins, said the Greens had opposed all of these privatisations. 

He added that the debate between the Labor and Liberal parties in Victoria was not whether or not to privatise, but rather how to privatise public services.

Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens economic justice spokesperson, Sam Hibbins MP:

“The Greens want public services, delivered in the public interest, for the public good, not for private profit.

“Yet this Labor Government is utterly addicted to selling off our public services.

“We need a parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of privatisation, and we need legislation that would prevent more public assets being privatised.

“Until then the Labor State Government should impose a ban on further privatisations.