Great Decision But 12 Years Too Late

"Telecom's announcement today that it will no longer make political donations is welcomed, although one might ask why it has taken this effective monopoly so long to reach this point, says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

"New Zealand First has long argued that large foreign owned corporates like Telecom should stay out of politics and today's announcement is effectively 12 years too late.

"It is no coincidence that New Zealand First was the only party represented in parliament that did not receive money from Telecom at the last election. We are a principled party and practice what we preach – even if it meant missing out on a few thousand dollars.

"Telecom can now stay out of politics and get on with unbundling the local loop and the raft of other changes needed to boost our telecommunications infrastructure – what New Zealanders actually expect them to do," concluded Mr Peters.

ENDS

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