Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

20 October 2013  
 
New Super Fund to Replace Kiwisaver $22 Billion Gravy Train
 
A new superannuation fund to save billions of dollars for KiwiSaver contributors over the next thirty years will be a central plank for New Zealand First at the 2014 General Election.
 
An outline plan of “KiwiFund” has been announced by Rt Hon Winston Peters in his keynote Leader’s address at the party’s annual convention in Christchurch today.
 
Mr Peters told delegates that private funds managers were sucking the lifeblood out of KiwiSaver, and in five short years had already taken $325 million in management and investment fees.
 
“Independent forecasts show that over the next thirty years these funds managers will take more than $22 billion from KiwiSavers and there is no government guarantee that the remaining funds will be safe.
 
“There is huge pressure from the finance industry to get their hands on more retirement funds. The figures show these companies will make spectacular profits at the expense of people saving for their retirement. 
 
“Our plan is to change KiwiSaver so that it is a truly government-backed and managed retirement fund. Because of the economies of scale, and the elimination of hordes of ticket clipping fund managers, costs will be greatly reduced. People who pay into KiwiSaver will get their full return.”
 
Under the New Zealand First plan, KiwiFund will be government-guaranteed and it would invest substantially in New Zealand.
 
“People saving through KiwiFund will be buying back New Zealand.  KiwiFund will invest in buying back farmland, state assets and critical infrastructure. Funding will also be provided to support smart local companies to develop new products and create jobs.
 
“We have to invest in our own future. Overseas pension funds and corporate investors can hardly believe their luck – and are buying up everything they can in New Zealand.
 
“New Zealand First says its time to stop this sell out. We are already well down the road to serfdom in our own country.”
 
Mr Peters warned there would be “howls of outrage” from the private funds managers who would “fight to the death” to retain their $22 billion gravy train.
 
“In the United States, private funds managers lost billions of dollars of pension funds during the 2008 financial crisis. We simply cannot afford to let that happen to the retirement savings of New Zealanders.
 
“KiwiFund will enable us to build a high performance economy from which all New Zealanders will get the benefit,” said Mr Peters.
 
ENDS

© Scoop Media