RAM - Residents Action Movement
Election InfoLine 2.10.07

Save port company from big business

"The port company is refusing to reimburse its workers for their massive productivity increases. This shows the need for a shake-up in the port company's board of directors," said Peter Hughes, a RAM candidate for the Auckland Regional Council in Waitakere Constituency.

Here is the corporate profile of the port company's board of directors:

GARY JUDD, port company chair, is also chair of the ASB Bank.
JOHN LINDSAY is chair of NZ Chambers of Commerce, Holcim NZ Ltd and America's Cup Village Ltd, and a director of a number of companies operating in New Zealand and Australia.
PETER HUBSCHER is chair of Montana, and a director of Fruition Horticulture (HB) Ltd, Freemans Bay Properties Ltd, World of Wearable Art Ltd, Apollo Pac Ltd and NZ School of Music Ltd.
SUSAN PATERSON is director of Transpower NZ Ltd, America's Cup Village Ltd, Tipsco Ltd, Freemans Bay Properties Ltd, Abano Healthcare Group Ltd and Airways Corporation of NZ Ltd, and a former director of Tower Health & Life.
EMMET HOBBS is director of Metro Smart Ltd, Next Generation Ltd, Mainfreight Ltd, Freestyle Group Ltd, Strategic Performance Ventures, Rakino Group ltd, Bligh Finance Ltd, Hire Pool Ltd, Nationwide Equipment Ltd and Power Plant Supplies Ltd.
JENS MADSEN is chief executive of Ports of Auckland Ltd, director of Axis International Ltd and former senior executive of Maersk, the world's biggest shipping company.

"At the moment, all the directors of the port company are representatives of big business. While the port company is supposed to be a 100% public utility, every single board member comes from the 1% of society who belong to the top corporate elite. To say this is not representative of the public as a whole would be the understatement of the year," said Peter Hughes.

"As a step towards the democratisation of the port company, I call for one elected regional councillor and one port union representative to be added to the board of directors. This can be done under the Port Companies Act 1988, which allows two people elected to the regional council or employed by the port company to become directors."

"ARC chair Mike Lee talks a lot about how he helped save the port company from the clutches of big business in the distant past. I now challenge him to live up to his words and start to overcome corporate domination by demanding that an elected regional councillor and a port union representative come onto the board of directors," said Peter Hughes.

The RAM Team is standing for 27 positions on the Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Council and Community Boards, and the region's three District Health Boards.

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