Darryll Park joins Lianne Dalziel as a privatiser of assets through “opening the books”

The latest contender for the Christchurch mayoralty, Darryll Park is lining up the city for asset sales if he wins.

Park says he is not advocating asset sales “at this point in time” but wants to “open the books” and “carry out a full financial review of the council’s expenditure…” if he is elected.

This is a classic right-wing tactic. It has been used time and again over the past 35 years to justify fire sales of government and local council assets. It starts with “opening the books” which inevitably results in “shock – horror” claims of burgeoning debt which require the sale of assets to prevent double-digit rate increases.

The corporate sector love it. City residents are shafted.

Current Mayor Lianne Dalziel did precisely the same thing when she first became mayor and tried to get council approval for the sale of $600 million of city assets through engaging notorious privatisers, Cameron and Partners, to review the city’s books.

Dalziel failed to get her way, after a concerted community campaign to stop her, but did lead a failed charge to sell the council works agency City Care. Park wants to pick up where she left off.

Thank goodness voters don’t need to choose between them.

Our MintoforMayor.nz campaign categorically promises we will not sell out city residents by selling assets.

Our campaign promises are based on a future which makes sense. Our promises will SAVE money for ratepayers while addressing the three critical issues facing the city: our Climate Crisis, Water crisis and Inequality crisis.

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