Picket To 'Unwelcome' Privatiser David Hawkins At Watercare

Hi people!

A small, but successful picket was held yesterday outside the ASB building Auckland City, where Watercare services have their Head Office. Water Pressure Group members showed their outrage that well-known privatiser, David Hawkins, the ex-Mayor of Papakura District Council, has taken up a senior management position with Watercare Services, where he is responsible for liaising with central and local government!

We demanded that he is immediately sacked from Watercare Services, as a man with his privatisation record should not be allowed anywhere near water! We demanded that whoever from Watercare Services was responsible for employing him should be sacked as well, for being so irresponsible as to employ the man who helped leave Papakura's water management in the hands of multinational water corporations, so they now have a foothold in the Auckland region. Let us be quite clear on this point. The Papakura 'franchising' of water services management to multinational water corporations, is the European model of water privatisation. PRIVATISATION OF WATER SERVICES MANAGEMENT IS PRIVATISATION! Papakura District Council may still own the pipes, but United Water (a consortium of Thames Water from Britain, and General Des Eaux from France) make private profit from 'leasing' the management of those water services pipes, for a 30 year contract. To suggest that this model is NOT privatisation is reminiscent of the Hitler 'big lie' technique, but weasel-worded politicians are trying it on! Beware!

We demanded that central and local government refuse to liase with a known privatiser. Before the election, both Labour and the Alliance stated that they were opposed to the privatisation of water services. Well, Sandra Lee, Minister of Local Government; Judith Tizard, Minister for Auckland issues; Helen Clarke, Prime Minister; Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister - let's see how genuine is that opposition to privatisation. If any Government Minister, MP, or any Government officials or beaurocrats liaise with David Hawkins, in any way, shape or form - then we will see that as support for privatisation.

The Auckland City Council, the biggest shareholder in Watercare Services, has repeatedly stated its opposition to privatisation. That raises an interesting point. What prior knowledge, or say, did Auckland City Council have in the appointment of David Hawkins to this position? Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker (and City Vision 'team' leader) is Chairman of the Watercare Services Shareholders Group. What did he know about David Hawkin's appointment? What does he, and City Vision think about having a privatiser as a liason person? The Water Pressure Group intend to find out.

We demand that Auckland City Council (both politicians and officials) shows its opposition to privatisation by refusing to liaise in any way, shape or form with David Hawkins, and calls for his immediate dismissal.

If local and central government officials refuse to liaise with David Hawkins - then how can he do his job? We do not want him shifted sideways within Watercare Services - we want him out of there - gone!!

Remember, the Auckland Regional Water Review is happening now, behind closed doors. Watercare Services as the commercialised water wholesaler L.A.T.E. want to get rid of the wholesale/retail split, and have one water company covering the entire Auckland region. What would happen with the United Water contract? Would the tentacles of the giant water corporations based in Papakura start to unfurl across the Auckland region? Is it David Hawkin's job to help this happen??? His appointment is as sinister as it is provocative! He must be removed! Watercare's actions yet again prove that the commercialised model for water cannot be trusted to look after the public interest. We don't want L.A.T.E.s - wholesale or retail, for water services!

What you can do to help, is email the following local and central government politicians and demand that they refuse to liaise with a privatiser, and demand that David Hawkins is sacked from Watercare Services forthwith.

Central Government Ministers.

pm@ministers.govt.nz, Jim.Anderton@mx.parliament.govt.nz, Marian.Hobbs@mx.parliament.govt.nz, Phillida.Bunkle@mx.parliament.govt.nz, Sandra Lee slee@ministers.govt.nz, Annette.King@mx.parliament.govt.nz,

Auckland City Councillors

kay@wordpictures.co.nz vern@kiwilink.co.nz pacent@xtra.co.nz mayor@akcity.govt.nz, vcarter@voyager.co.nz barbara@goodman.co.nz

Cheers!

Penny Bright Media Spokesperson Water Pressure Group

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