Newly elected NSW Premier Chris Minns reveals plan to prevent privatisation of Sydney Water

The newly elected Labor premier has revealed his plan to overhaul one thing to ensure an issue that divided voters never happens.

Newly minted NSW Premier Chris Minns has confirmed a plan to alter the state constitution to prevent future governments from selling off assets like Sydney Water.

The Labor leader was elected to office on Saturday night in an unexpected landslide victory for the party after a 12-year drought.

Privatisation proved a key issue with voters, with the issue coming up early on in the final leaders’ debate and revelations the former Liberal government had explored the potential of selling off Sydney Water.

“It’s a lock, to make sure future governments don’t sell (Sydney Water) off,” Mr Minns told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Monday morning.

Mr Minns made the extraordinary promise live on air that his government would “never ever sell those essential assets”.

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has revealed a bold plan to change the constitution after winning the state election. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

“I repeat that unambiguously, we were elected on that as a key part of our platform,” he said.

“Privatisation in my view has gone way too far in NSW.”

Fordham asked if constitutional change was “necessary” if he had no plans to sell off the company. Mr Minns said it was his goal to prevent future governments from doing so.

“The key thing about putting it in the constitution is, unlike with WestConnex where the government was elected and were able to do a ‘fire sale’ as the polls closed,” Mr Minns said.

Mr Minns said his government would ‘never ever’ sell off ‘essential assets’ like Sydney Water. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

“If we put it in the constitution it has to go through parliament.”

The Premier revealed the news to reporters after his election win breakfast on Sunday morning.

He said his government would be preparing legislation to protect Sydney Water from privatisation as well as prioritise policies around essential workers and restoring essential services.

“We’ll be having a leadership meeting this afternoon with senior ministers-elect in the coming hours,” he said.

“We need to make sure that we are recruiting and retaining essential workers in our schools and our hospitals and I’ll be speaking with senior members of both of those departments.”

Mr Minns and several senior ministers, including incoming treasurer Daniel Mookhey, will be sworn into office on Tuesday.

Labor still has not secured a majority after counting resumed on Monday. At the moment, they have 45 of the 47 seats needed to govern without crossbench support.
However, three key independents on Monday pledged to support Mr Minns’ government on supply and confidence.

“Following conversations with the incoming NSW Labor Government, the members for Sydney, Wagga Wagga and Lake Macquarie have agreed to offer confidence and supply and look forward to a strong and consultative working relationship with Premier-elect Chris Minns and his team,” Alex Greenwich the independent MP for Sydney tweeted.

He said the three - including Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper and Wagga Wagga’s Joe McGirr — looked forward to “a strong and consultative working relationship with the new Premier and his team.”

“In respect of the decisive result of the election, and in the interest of stable government, the member for Sydney, Lake Macquarie and Wagga Wagga have agreed to provide confidence and supply to the incoming government should it be required.”