The People's Option - Water Is Not To Remain A Commodity

The People's Option For Auckland Region

As part of the Auckland Region Water Review, the Water Pressure Group is combining with Citizens Against Privatisation (Waitakere) and others to produce a "People's Option" as an alternative to the three pro-commercial/private models on offer by the review group. One major thrust of our People's Option is to have have water services taken back from under the Commerce Act and reinstored as public services under direct democratic control.

Fine tuning is happening to develop the option in a tight timeframe, and any members or other interested persons are invited to participate - just respond to this message to register your interest.

To promote the People's Option we are planning a public meeting/forum for around the time of the Review launch (Feb 21) and have asked Murray Dobbin to address our meeting if his planned trip through Auckland coincides with the occasion.

Murray Dobbin writes for the Financial Post in Canada, and presents consistently high calibre critique against rampant market reform and right wing neo-liberalism. The Water Pressure Group included an article of his in our leaflet WATER IS A HEALTH INDUSTRY last August.

Below is an important current article by Canadian writer Murray Dobbin - followed by a response to Murray by Jim Shultz in Cochabamba, Bolivia - copied to myself. Jim's posting clarifies a few points.

Remember, water services have already gone beyond the debate in Canada and have become commercial activities (commodities) in New Zealand. The Government must be pressured to change the law on this, and in the meantime local councils must be forced by massive public pressure not to entetain furhter commercialisation or privatisations - in the case of United Water in Papakura and Metrowater in Auckland City, to scrap them and return the services back to council management where they belong.

Solidarity
Jim Gladwin
member
The Water Pressure Group
http://www.water-pressure-group.org.nz/
email: Water Pressure Group
PO Box 19764
Auckland 7
New Zealand
Ph / Fax 64 9 828 4517
or Ph 64 9 846 9825

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