12 October 2007 Media Statement

National must choose - asset sales or cleaner environment

Efforts to improve New Zealand's energy efficiency would be wiped out overnight if the National Party sold our State Owned Enterprises, says Progressive Party leader and campaigner against sales of strategic assets Jim Anderton.

"The Government is telling our SOEs to go with renewable energy. We don't want publicly-owned corporations pumping more fossil fuels into the atmosphere to speed up global warming.

"How could the National Party tell SOEs what to build if it didn't own them, or even if it had sold only a minority share?

"I want National to explain its priority − is it more interested in selling a minority share of assets to its rich mates, or in saving the entire planet?

"I want to know whether they even thought about this before they decided it would be a good idea to flog off our power companies.

"What makes public ownership of SOEs desirable is that we can use them to further national goals such as a cleaner environment.

"You cannot be in favour of selling our electricity generators and also in favour of reducing global warming," Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

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