What Was The Govt Deal To Emirates Airlines? Courtesy or Commercial?

Tuesday 9 Sep 2003 Rodney Hide Press Releases -- Economy

ACT New Zealand Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today said that Prime Minister Helen Clark needed to front up to explain the nature of the deal that the crown limo service had with United Arab Emirates airline last month.

"The Prime Minister has advised Parliament that VIP Transport Service provided transportation for Emirates airline staff during their launch programme for their inaugural flight services to Auckland, on a commercial basis'. She has refused to provide any information because `details of which are commercially sensitive'", Mr Hide said.

"But Land Transport Safety Authority have decided that the service was a `courtesy service' which therefore didn't need to be licensed. That was their response to Jean-Michel Jefferson's complaint that VIP Transport Service was operating incorrectly licensed vehicles.

"So who's right? Were the cars supplied as a `courtesy' by the taxpayer or `commercially'?

"The Government expects private operators like Jean-Michel Jefferson to comply with LTSA rules and regulations - and comes down heavily on them if they don't - but appears not to be bothered if their own departments don't comply.

"Transport Minister Paul Swain is so out of touch he just declared in Parliament the LTSA's rules were `complex' and said that anyone with a problem should lay a complaint. The complaint has been laid. The problem is that LTSA summarily dismissed it," Mr Hide said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

© Scoop Media