Arrest warrants idea a disgrace

Date: 27 January 2011

The NSW power inquiry's decision to seek arrest warrants for the energy directors who resigned over the government's controversial privatisation plan in December is a disgrace, according to former Eraring director Tony Maher.

Mr Maher has applauded the common sense of NSW Upper House President Amanda
Fazio, who declined the committee's request, but said she never should have been put in that position in the first place.

"This parliamentary committee has completely lost the plot," he said.

"The directors who stood down in December over Eric Roozendaal's power privatisation plan did so out of principle and responsibility. For the committee to treat them like suspects on the run is unconscionable.

"The directors would be more than willing to answer questions before a proper inquiry -but this isn't one.

"Because the Premier prorogued Parliament before the committee convened, there is no guarantee that witnesses appearing before it are entitled to parliamentary privilege. That means the NSW Government could potentially sue any board members for their answers. That's why we declined the initial invitation and the committee knows it.

"If we appeared at the inquiry we'd be the only witnesses in the history of the NSW Parliament to appear without legal indemnity. We are eager to cast light on what happened in December, but the proper protections need to be in place."

Mr Maher, who is also the National President of the CFMEU, said it was difficult to see what could be behind the committee's bizarre request.

"The only possible motivation I can see is political grandstanding - a chance for some headlines and drama at the cost of basic decency." he said.

Luckily, Amanda Fazio knocked this stupid request on the head quickly, but if she hadn't, the directors and their families could have spent days anticipating a knock on the door from police.

"Good and responsible people simply don't do this to other good and responsible people. The committee members who decided on this course of action need to take a good hard look at themselves and think about what they were actually trying to achieve."

For further information

Contact:	Anil Lambert
Union:	CFMEU Mining and Energy Division
Contact Mobile:	0416 426 722
WWW:	http://www.cfmeu.com.au/

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