Media Release

7 April 2010

Hide's push for privatisation

“Rodney Hide needs to come clean about his push to privatise Auckland assets” says Labour Spokesperson on Auckland Issues, Phil Twyford.

Mr. Hide will be the keynote speaker at the Local Government Asset Management Conference. The main event on the agenda is a panel discussion around the implications of privatisation of local government assets in New Zealand.

“Mr. Hide is already on record supporting the privatisation of Auckland ports, that and the fact that his third super city bill repeals the requirement for a referendum to take place before ports shares are sold shows a clear push for privatisation,”  Phil Twyford said.

What is more, under the Government's third super city bill most of the city's assets are transferred to council-owned companies that are exempt from the provisions of the Local Government Act which require public consultation before strategic assets can be sold. This could see, after the two-year moratorium, the ports or the airport shares sold off without any consultation with Aucklanders.

“The conference agenda also suggests that ‘Privatisation is a contentious issue due to amendments in the Local Government Act 2002. Water will be the first area of local government which will move towards privatisation but what about the rest of local government controlled functions’.

“Water will be privatised? Rodney Hide's proposed amendments to the Local Government Act would allow private ownership of water infrastructure for up to 35 years, and yet in Parliament Mr Hide denies this is privatisation.

“Aucklanders are being kept in the dark about the future of their cities assets. Mr. Hide needs to come clean about his intention to push the privatisation agenda around Auckland ports and water,” says Phil Twyford

Contact: Phil Twyford 027 444 9161