Thursday 7 Feb 2002

ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today described news that Gisborne will miss out on Kiwibank as a big hit on Jim Anderton's political baby, but unsurprising.

"NZ Post's costings are based on ripping off franchisees by paying them only 53 cents a transaction. That's well below cost.

"It's no surprise that many franchisees are refusing to take on Kiwibank. NZ Post expects franchisees to lose thousands of dollars to make Kiwibank work. NZ Post can't even sell Kiwibank to the very people they are dependent on to sell Kiwibank to the public.

"Jim Anderton promised the people of Gisborne a bank. He promised Kiwibank would `rebuild regional New Zealand by opening services in areas where previously they were closing'. He promised the bank would `employ people in the regions'. He promised to `keep foreign banks honest' by opening Kiwibank branches just down the road. He told us that `while the overseas banks are closing branches, the new bank will be opening them'. He hasn't delivered.

"This makes a laughing-stock of Mr Anderton's Tairawhiti Taskforce.

"The hole that Gisborne has punched in Kiwibank's nation-wide coverage is just the start. Other communities are going to miss out too.

"The promised banking service that $80 million of taxpayers' money was to buy just isn't materialising," Mr Hide said.

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