Labor is continuing to demand answers from New South
Wales Premier Mike Baird following reports of corruption claims and a
"massive audit" of a Chinese company seen as a potential bidder for the
state's power assets.
The Opposition this week focused its campaigning on contact between the Baird Government and the Chinese government-owned State Grid Corporation,
with Labor leader Luke Foley raising national security issues and
saying he did not want a foreign government owning the state's poles and
wires.A union-backed advertising campaign targeted Treasurer Andrew Constance for meeting company representatives, while Mr Baird refused to go into details about a "roundtable" he addressed in China last year, which was attended by State Grid Corporation's president.
In May last year, the South China Morning Post reported that State Grid Corporation had "been told to prepare 1,000 workspaces for state inspectors to conduct an accountability audit of the company's chairman, Liu Zhenya".
Quoting an unnamed source, the newspaper reported: "The audit office and other authorities had previously received letters alleging financial problems and accusing the power company's management of potential corruption.
"The main purpose is to investigate the person's 'economic responsibility' - a term covering a wide range of managerial roles - during his tenure."
ABC on election night
Make sure you're the first to know the NSW election result on Saturday night. Here's how to join our live coverage on mobile, social, TV and radio."[Mr Baird] is not open and upfront about who he has met with," Mr Foley told the ABC's AM program.
Mr Baird said Mr Foley was "overseeing what I think is one of the most incredible scare campaigns ever seen in the history of state politics".
"It's why people such as [former federal minister] Martin Ferguson - respected Labor figures - are calling them out," Mr Baird told RN Breakfast.
"I've met with thousands of investors across the world and that's your job as Treasurer and Premier."
'Plenty of claims made from all sides'
Meanwhile, Mr Foley said he supported the right of unions to raise concerns about possible Chinese investment in the state's electricity network.Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane criticised anti-privatisation advertisements, which focused on the prospect of State Grid Corporation's investment, for "inflaming xenophobia".
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) advertisements ran on television and were published online.
"In this case, it is disappointing that political advertisements have resorted to such fear-mongering," Mr Soutphommasane told The Daily Telegraph.
Mr Foley stressed that he opposed any foreign government having control of essential infrastructure, not just the Chinese government-owned corporation.
He avoided answering directly when asked if he would request the CFMEU withdraw its ads.
"I support the right of working people and their representative organisations to advertise in a democratic election under the rules devised by this Government," Mr Foley said.
"That's what I support. And there's plenty of claims made from all sides."
With just two days until voters go to the polls, Mr Baird campaigned in the western Sydney seat of Auburn, which Mr Foley is contesting for the first time after previously serving as an Upper House MP.
Mr Foley took his campaign to Campbelltown to talk up more than $1 billion worth of promised health upgrades in Sydney's west and south-west, including a $100 million paediatric surgical centre at Campbelltown Hospital.
He was joined by former Labor senator John Faulkner on his campaign bus to travel to the seat of Goulburn, where another former Labor senator, Ursula Stephens, is challenging Liberal MP Pru Goward.
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