2003 Roger Award Winner(S) To Be Announced

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19TH; 7.30 P.M.

OCTAGON CLUBROOMS,

8 LOWER OCTAGON, DUNEDIN

The winner(s) of the 2003 Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand will be announced on Thursday February 19th. There are eight finalists, a record number - the previous highest figure was six. They are: Telecom, Carter Holt Harvey, Comalco, ANZ, Newmont Mining (Waihi Gold), Rymans, Juken Nissho and BAT (British American Tobacco). Triple winner Tranz Rail is no longer eligible as it has been promoted to the Hall of Shame.

This will be the first time that Dunedin has hosted the Roger Award event. The organisers – Christchurch-based groups, the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) and GATT Watchdog - are pleased that the only major city not to have thus far hosted the Roger will now do so. And Dunedin is even more appropriate because of the high profile role played by its Mayor, Sukhi Turner, who has been a judge several times, from the very beginning. She will be representing the judges at the event, and will be announcing the winner(s). Other speakers include Murray Horton, representing the organisers; and Green MP, Metiria Turei.

The judges are (in addition to Sukhi Turner): Dr Ranginui Walker, Emeritus Professor at the University of Auckland; John Minto, veteran Auckland activist and National Chairperson of the Quality Public Education Coalition; Alister Barry, documentary maker, of Wellington; and Jill Hawkey, of Christchurch, National Director of Christian World Service.

The criteria for judging are by assessing the transnational that has the most negative impact in New Zealand in each or all of the following fields: unemployment, monopoly, profiteering, abuse of workers/conditions, political interference/running an ideological crusade, environmental damage, cultural imperialism, impact on tangata whenua, impact on women, health and safety of workers and the public.

The Roger Award is more necessary than ever when viewed in light of the Government’s review of the Overseas Investment Act, with one threatened outcome being that of removing all Overseas Investment Commission oversight of corporate takeovers, and treating them as just another company transaction.

Murray Horton

for the organisers

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