Union sensationally accuses Opposition of lying over asset sale pledge

The Labor-aligned Electrical Trades Union will relaunch its campaign against asset sales ahead of the 2024 state election as polling predicts the LNP will win in a landslide.

The Labor-aligned Electrical Trades Union will relaunch its campaign against asset sales ahead of the 2024 state election as polling predicts the LNP will win in a landslide.

After sitting idle for seven years, the ETU will relaunch its effective Not4Sale campaign, which helped Annastacia Palaszczuk defeat then opposition leader Tim Nicholls in 2017.

The union’s campaign has been shelved since, but will be relaunched ahead of the October 26 poll between Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli.

Now, the left-aligned ETU has sensationally dismissed the pledges of senior LNP MPs not to sell assets as “lies”.

The ETU's Peter Ong. Photographer: Liam Kidston

ETU secretary Peter Ong argues the LNP is attempting to “sneak into government” without detailing its energy policy and insisted assets would be privatised if they did.

“When LNP state energy spokeswoman Deb Frecklington says everything is on the table and it’s all in the mix when talking about the ownership of electricity assets, electricity workers are rightly concerned,” he said.

“The LNP lost the 2015 election when they proposed asset sales and sacked thousands of workers, in 2017 they went to the asset sales mantra again under Nicholls and they lost again and now when Queenslanders are looking for certainty and security around energy prices and services, they are at it again.”

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli delivers his Budget reply at Parliament House in Brisbane. Photo: Dan Peled.

Mr Crisafulli noted the LNP had pledged to keep assets in public hands and said workers in the energy sector would be safer if he was premier

“There will be a maintenance guarantee to make sure that those power plants stay operational and safe for their workers,” he said.

“That’s important to us as is to make sure that they’re owned by the public.”

Mr Ong also accused Mr Crisafulli of “sabotage” for pledging to dump the government’s controversial Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project.

He said the state government’s legislation was putting downward pressure on energy prices and helping workers through the transition to renewables.