Asset sales fight still far from over

Hone Harawira, MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau

Monday 2 September 2013

“Fantastic news” said Hone Harawira, MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau, in response to today’s successful validation of the Keep Our Assets Coalition’s petition for a citizen’s initiated referendum on asset sales.  “The Coalition has done a great job collecting signatures to ensure the referendum can go ahead, and I especially want to thank all those who helped out – including MANA members from around the country.”

The petition is due to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow.  The government will then have a month to set a date for the referendum which will need to be held in the next 12 months.

“Most New Zealanders are strongly opposed to asset sales and will now get a chance to have their say and vote against it.  We haven’t been duped into thinking asset sales are a good thing – we’ve seen the lies and deceptions and corporate handouts that have been part of the Mighty River Power deal.

“Indeed, just last week Bryan Bruce’s doco on inequality reminded us that nothing good has ever resulted from any other asset sales programmes, apart from the new corporate shareholders, because they’re based on totally flawed thinking.

“New Zealand power companies should continue to be owned by New Zealanders, and we’re now another step closer to that goal.

“Alongside this, the New Zealand Maori Council and a number of Iwi continue to push for the government to properly settle Maori proprietary interests in fresh water – and if they don’t do this fairly, the sale of power companies will again be in question.

“As I’ve said all along, this fight is far from over yet.

ENDS

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