Despite passing in the lower house last Thursday, the initial reading of the ‘Energy and Economic Futures Bill’ in the Federal Council has been rejected.
Leading the vote against the government’s bill, the Union Party’s majority leader in the chamber, Ivan Tattar said the government had ‘failed to listen’ after doubts were raised over the role of the ‘Energy Regulation and Competition Committee’ which the bill would set-up to regulate, what is currently a largely publicly owned industry.
The opposition believes that the committee, a part of the Energy and Environmental Protection Department is a ‘first step’ in the re-privatisation of the energy industry. “Two failed botched jobs and the Centrists are reckless enough to try it again – well I tell the Prime Minister – it will not wash with us, no more privatisation of the backbone of our economy” a defiant Tattar anguished in the chamber.
The bill will now have a second reading in the lower house later in the week.
