It's the third wave of privatisation, says John Spoehr.

Evatt  Foundation Publication

"In sum, the state governments have all released policy papers that set out privatisation policies, which they insist are not privatisation policies. Let's be clear. Private isn't public. Privatising water, electricity and transport can only mean privatising water, electricity and transport, regardless of whether the government does or does not continue to directly employ judges and police. Likewise, privatising school and hospital facilities, which are presently at the front-line of the PPP policies, can only mean privatising school and hospital facilities, irrespective of whether the government does or does not continue to employ schoolteachers and nurses."

"The reason why state governments are refusing to say that their privatisation policies are privatisation policies is obvious. Despite the Australian public having been barraged by 20 years of bi-partisan pro-privatisation rhetoric, accompanied by a privatisation program valued at around $150 billion, the public has remained firmly opposed to the policy.¹⁶ Opinion surveys always show that between 60 and 70 per cent of Australians are opposed to privatisation. The opposition that stretches across all demographics and voting intentions. So entrenched is the public's opposition that even the majority of Telstra shareholders are opposed to the further privatisation of Telstra. Given the unpopularity of privatisation, Australia's politicians have simply removed the word; they have rubbed out 'privatisation' and replaced it with 'partnership', and continued to advance their privatisation policies under the new banner."

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