Tracey Martin MP
Spokesperson for Communications & IT
28 November 2013

Back New Zealand Families, Not Chorus And Its Foreign Shareholders

New Zealand First is challenging the Government to back New Zealand families on copper broadband pricing, rather than surrendering to pressure from Chorus and its foreign shareholders.

Communications and IT spokesperson Tracey Martin says the Government is proposing to ignore the Commerce Commission’s final pricing recommendation to lower copper broadband prices and instead impose a higher price for copper broadband users.

Ms Martin says that Kiwi families will end up paying more than they should for their internet in another shonky deal crafted by the Government.

“New Zealand First supported the final recommendation from the Commerce Commission establishing lower copper broadband prices, and opposes any deal that puts the interests of a publicly listed company ahead of New Zealand families and businesses.

“We will vote against any legislation that seeks to overrule the Commerce Commission’s final pricing recommendation or that tries to delay its implementation from 1 December 2014.

“This Government has courted controversy with the Sky City Convention Centre, a multi-million dollar prop up for Rio Tinto, film subsidies for Warner Brothers, a bailout of South Canterbury Finance, and now it wants to set up yet another deal for their mates at Chorus rather than putting the interests of all New Zealanders first.

“Chorus made a profit of $171 million last year so to turn to its Government mates to ask for the taxpayer to provide them more money is simply outrageous,” says Ms Martin.

ENDS

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