Super City assets not yours to sell Rodney
       

       
Auckland’s assets belong to the ratepayers and it should be up to them to decide by referendum what happens to them, Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford says.

“Today I have launched the ‘Not Yours To Sell’ campaign and have written to National MPs in Auckland asking them to support my Bill that will require a referendum to be held before any major assets can be disposed of,” Phil Twyford said.

“Local Government Minister and ACT leader Rodney Hide has so far shown contempt for the democratic process by ramming through legislation on the Super City. He needs to get a clear message from Aucklanders to keep his hands off our assets.

“The Super City should be about enriching our communities and democracy. Unfortunately Rodney Hide has an agenda that has nothing to do with community and everything to do with corporatisation and privatisation.

“Rodney Hide wants to scale back local government to roads, rubbish and water, and force Councils to sell off their assets. Labour stands for a more traditional Kiwi way, where we build strong communities, where we pay through our rates for high quality services we can all use. Where kids grow up being able to get books out of the library, walk in the park, and learn to swim whether they are rich or poor.

“We have to act now to save our parks, libraries and pensioner housing,” Phil Twyford said.

"The threat is real. It is not so long since our airport shares were sold off, and there was a concerted attempt to sell the ports. And the Local Government Minister is an avowed advocate of privatisation.

“I have encountered a great deal of concern over the past few months during the super city debate from Aucklanders worried that the creation of the new Auckland Council will lead to a sell-off of community assets ratepayers have built up over generations.”

Phil Twyford said Labour would support the bill and he was hopeful of getting Green Party and Maori Party support. He was targeting National MPs because if enough of them supported the bill it would see it made into law.

Labour's anti-asset selling campaign is on the web at http://www.issues.co.nz/notyourstosell   

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