John Carter

National MP for Northland

Saturday 28 October 2000

Where will Jim put his banks?

Jim Anderton is living in a time warp if he believes he can deliver his "peoples' bank " to provincial New Zealand through the New Zealand Post network, National's Northland MP John Carter said today.

"He says that he will be able to use New Zealand Post to put one of his long promised banks in every little New Zealand town and rural community that the commercial banks have deserted.

"Well, I've been looking at that claim and it just doesn't stack up in Northland or in a lot of other regions such as the West Coast.

"The reality is that a in lot of small towns like Mangonui and Paparoa that no longer have a commercial bank, there is also no longer any post office.

"If they have anything, many of those towns only have a Post Shop franchise operated out of a business such as the local grocery or video store.

"There are no secure facilities in those shops to run a bank. If Jim believes they could be upgraded to bank status, he's talking about a bare minimum of secure facilities and one or two staff in communities throughout New Zealand. We're talking about an infrastructure costing millions of dollars.

"Stick to the facts, Jim, if you want New Zealanders to pay for your people's bank," Mr Carter said.

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