Privatisation blackmail
By Melanie Sjoberg
ADELAIDE — In the May 28 state budget, the Liberal government has tied funding for South Australia's ailing education and health systems to the privatisation of the electricity utility, ETSA.
Treasurer Rob Lucas, who has presided over drastic cuts to education, announced a budget that will eliminate another 550 jobs from the public sector, almost half from education. In a cynical move, 2500 traineeships have been offered to "reduce" youth unemployment, which is now hovering around 38%.
Taxes, car registration, drivers licence renewal fees and third party insurance premiums have been increased. A levy on home owners to cover the costs of emergency services has been imposed. Only departments related to "law and order" have had funds boosted.
Janet Giles, state president of the Australian Education Union, condemned the budget's vicious attack on education. Another 30 schools are to close. The AEU, which is to lodge a claim around wages and workload in its next round of enterprise bargaining, has been warned that the economy cannot "afford" pay rises.
The communications and electrical trades union has launched a community campaign to oppose the sale of ETSA. Lucas threatened that if the sale does not proceed, a mini-budget will be necessary to impose further cuts to public spending.