Privatisation By Stealth

Why This Discredited Practice Is Still On the Political Agenda

Sunday, March 16th 2008
11.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
TRADE UNION CENTRE
199 Armagh Street, Christchurch

PROGRAMME

11 a.m. – payment by those who have registered but not yet paid ($25 waged, or $15 unwaged)

11-11.15 – welcome and introduction by Murray Horton, CAFCA.

11.15- 12 Bill Rosenberg, of CAFCA, on the international pressures driving privatisation.

12-12.15 – questions.

12.15 – 1.15 – lunch (this is included with your registration).

1.15 – 1.45 Laila Harre, former Cabinet Minister, on the internal and external pressures on Government to privatise.

1.45 – 2 – questions

2 – 2.45 Sue Newberry, Associate Professor of Accounting, Sydney University, on the structures in place which enable some privatisation initiatives to proceed without the public being aware.

2.45 – 3 – questions.

3 – 3.30 afternoon tea.

3.30 -4.30 – workshops. Due to the small numbers attending, we plan not to proceed with three simultaneous workshops (as originally envisaged) but, to be finalised on the day, will most likely have one big workshop and deal with matters arising from each speaker’s talk, in order

In relation to Bill Rosenberg’s topic, we will be strategising to resist international pressure; Laila Harre’s – strategising for the right political pressures on Government to resist privatisation; Sue Newberry’s – further discussion on privatisation in secret.

If we do conclude with one big workshop, this will mean that the conference will finish earlier than the advertised 5.30 p.m. (most likely at 4.30). And you can have some free time before coming back to the Trade Union Centre for the Roger Award event that night.

However if there are enough people on the day to justify running simultaneous workshops, then we will finish with a 4.30 - 5.30 p.m. report back from those workshops and plenary session involving all three speakers.

There is also the possibility, if time allows, to screen an extract on privatisation (20 minutes approximately) from Michael Moore’s most recent documentary, “Sicko”.

ends

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