Minto for Mayor

21 September 2016

Media Release:

Minto accuses Dalziel of misleading Christchurch voters on asset sales

In the Press debate last night incumbent Mayor Lianne Dalziel drew applause from myself and others for a statement we interpreted as a significant change in her attitude to asset sales.

Under fire over her record of supporting asset sales the mayor said -

‘We can obtain cash from these companies without selling shares and I can say not a single share from any of these companies needs to be sold to balance the books’

In less than 12 hours the mayor was backtracking on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report which reported:

“This morning, on RNZ's Morning Report Ms Dalziel would only confirm that strategic assets would not be sold without public consultation.

Asked whether she could guarantee not a single share would be sold, Ms Dalziel said she could not.”

I think the mayor’s comments at the Press debate were designed to mislead voters and our assets will be back on the block after the election.

The mayor knows a big majority of Christchurch residents are adamantly opposed to asset sales so she sought to defuse the issue before the election rather than honestly front the issue.

Voters don’t want weasel words – they want to know if the mayor intends to resume her asset sale program if she wins the election and if so what assets she intends to sell.

We want the mayor to come clean with voters.

John Minto
Mayoral Candidate
KOA (Keep our Assets Canterbury)

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