Media release: Rail & Maritime Transport Union
Thursday December 6, 2012

Government Cannot Absolve Themselves Of Hillside Responsibility

Comments this week from Prime Minister John Key that they did their best to stop job losses at Hillside don’t wash, the Rail & Maritime Transport Union said today.

John Key was yesterday questioned in Parliament over his comments this week that the government pushed back ‘reasonably strongly’ when informed by KiwiRail’s board of the intention to close Hillside

But RMTU General Secretary Wayne Butson said the government had plenty of opportunity to act prior to the recent Hillside closure decision.

“KiwiRail’s decision to not bid for either the $500 million contract for Auckland’s new trains, or for 500 flat top wagons has directly contributed to the closure of Hillside,” he said.

“KiwiRail needed a stronger steer from their shareholder to take a whole-of-life view of procurement. Dunedin workers, business leaders, the city council and others all saw that the decision to not bid for this work represented a very short-sighted view of procurement.”

“Value is not just upfront costs. It is also about ongoing repairs and maintenance work and the primary and secondary jobs that are created and industries supported when goods are manufactured locally.”

“Procurement was raised as a top 20 issue at the John Key’s Job Summit in 2009. But nothing good has come of it.

“Instead of using their significant purchasing power to support Kiwi jobs, the government put out new principles for procurement in September where the solitary reference to domestic firms was that they have a fair opportunity to compete. This is a complete let down to local industry and workers.”

The jobs at Hillside needn’t have been lost. But they were, on John Key’s watch, and he and his Transport Ministers cannot wash their hands of responsibility,” Wayne Butson said.

--
www.firstunion.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage