Clayton Cosgrove, Member of Parliament for Waimakariri today met with Elmar Toime, Chief Executive of New Zealand Post, to discuss the possibility of providing a banking facility for Oxford. Also at the meeting were John Allen, CEO of NZ Post Enterprises Group, and Maarten Wevers, Regional Director of Transend.

"I have told the people of Oxford that I would do all I can to try and get them a local banking facility, and so earlier this year I wrote to Mr Toime to ask for a meeting with him," Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove had previously written to other major New Zealand banks to ask them to consider providing a facility, however they all refused. Now that New Zealand Post are planning to establish banking facilities throughout New Zealand, Mr Cosgrove hopes they can help the people of Oxford.

"In my view, any bank that provided the people of Oxford with such facilities would gain wide support from the community. It is unfair that residents in rural areas, especially elderly people, have to go to metropolitan centres before they can get to a bank."

Mr Toime and his colleagues have now agreed to investigate possible options and models for a banking facility in Oxford. They have undertaken to contact Mr Cosgrove within one month to provide feedback on the feasibility of any proposal.

"Ultimately, any proposal, if it is put in place, will require the full support and commitment from the local community. Once New Zealand Post have come back to me with their feedback, I will be arranging a meeting with their representatives along with the Mayor of Waimakariri District and other Community leaders to discuss whether this will be possible."

"Banks are an institution with a natural monopoly because we all have to draw on our wages and pensions from a bank. Therefore they have a responsibility to provide services to all members of the community, not just those in metropolitan centres."

"I am grateful to Mr Toime for taking the time to discuss this with me, and I very much hope to receive a positive response as a result of today's meeting," Mr Cosgrove said.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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