MEDIA RELEASE

9 February 2001

For immediate release

NEW ZEALAND TAXPAYERS TO PICK UP THE TAB FOR YET ANOTHER “THINK BIG” PROJECT DOOMED TO FAILURE?

New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, says “that it is no surprise whatsoever to him, to learn that the air traffic control industry throughout the world is alive with rumours of the withdrawal of the joint venture bid by New Zealand Airways Corporation and the American giant, Lockheed Martin.

Indications of serious trouble emerged some days ago when the financial backers of the bid, Apex, withdrew its support,” said Mr Peters.

“This bid was an ill conceived one in the first instance and was largely predicated on the whims and fanciful thinking of a small number of individuals within Airways, whose grandiose dreams had now seen millions of dollars of claimed benefits to the New Zealand taxpayer drift off into space,” Mr Peters claimed.

“What is even more shameful however, is the manner in which the Government, in particular the Minister responsible, Mark Burton, defended and supported this ill conceived concept, even when the folly of its false foundations were vigorously drawn to his attention.

In the spirit of ensuring those responsible for failure or wastage are held accountable, as is constantly promised by individual Labour party MPs, I look forward to that principle being demonstrated in this instance,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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