Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Simeon Brown’s refusal today to say whether Treasury has recommended selling state assets, or to rule out asset sales should National lead the next government, raises the question voters deserve an answer to: is there a secret agenda being hatched?
The Minister of State-Owned Enterprises today confirmed Treasury has provided advice on its asset review to ministers, advice that has been sitting on his desk for weeks but wouldn’t say what it recommends or when – if ever – New Zealanders will get to see it.
“If there’s nothing to hide, release the advice,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, PSA National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“New Zealanders are heading to the polls, and they deserve to know now, not after the election, whether National are planning to sell off the assets we all own.
“We all know that ACT wants to sell the Crown’s shareholdings in the gentailers – so we say come clean now National, what deals are being worked on?
“We’ve been here before, and it was a disaster. Asset sales in the 1980s and 90s stripped thousands of workers of their jobs, sent profits offshore to new owners, and left taxpayers picking up the bill when privatisations like the Bank of New Zealand and Air New Zealand failed and had to be bought back. Two thirds of voters rejected asset sales at the 2013 referendum – that hasn’t changed.
“This Government has spent three years gutting the public service, cutting jobs and funding for the services New Zealanders rely on. If the plan is to now sell off the assets we all own, working people deserve to be told the truth before they vote, not have it sprung on them afterwards.”
The PSA is calling on Simeon Brown to:
- Tell voters what National’s assets sales plan is.
- Release the Treasury advice on asset sales in full, now.
- Confirm which state-owned enterprises and commercial assets have been assessed as part of this review.
“Our public assets belong to all of us – they exist to deliver for New Zealanders, not to be flogged off to enrich a handful of shareholders,” Fitzsimons said.
“Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past and keep our assets in our hands.”
Notes to editors
The Post reported today that Simeon Brown declined to say whether a Treasury review of state assets had recommended any be sold, or whether National would rule out asset sales at the election. Treasury confirmed in late July that advice had been provided to ministers and “remains under active consideration.” The Government owns about $100 billion in commercial assets, including 51% stakes in Meridian, Mercury and Genesis and full ownership of smaller SOEs such as TVNZ, MetService and Kordia.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.