Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Foreign owners have no commitment to New Zealand

Hon Jim Anderton

Member of Parliament for Wigram
Progressive Leader

07 April 2011 Media Statement

Foreign owners have no commitment to New Zealand

The closure of NZPA is the result of a corporate bean counter’s decision made in Australia, and serves as a warning about what happens when our assets are owned overseas, Progressive Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.

“If John Key sells our other assets, the same calamity will result. Foreign owners have no commitment to New Zealand.”

Jim Anderton says the loss of NZPA will hit regional New Zealand hardest because regional newspapers rely on the service for their national news service.

“Fairfax appointed an Australian chief executive to run the operation in New Zealand in March last year over the top of New Zealand executives who were expected to run the company. The cynical Australians who run half of New Zealand’s papers are putting in place a strategy that is bad for New Zealand, and only good for an Australian company.

“NZPA provided a unique service. It is one of the only gallery offices at parliament that routinely covers select committees and debates in the Chamber.

“It is a service that New Zealand’s news services outside the main centres rely on. Even the Christchurch’s press gallery office has been closed. This will remove services from remaining regional centres of New Zealand. NZPA also has a reputation forged over decades for writing straight news reports - leaving opinion and beat up scandals to others.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“This is what happens when our services end up overseas owned. Just as the Australians closed bank branches when they bought up our banking industry, and overseas owned oil companies spent years closing petrol stations in regional New Zealand, the newspaper company has a similar lack of commitment

“Exactly the same outcome is predictable if John Key goes ahead with his plan to sell down our power companies. Foreign owners will buy them up over time, and services will begin to disappear. I would love to hear the advocates of foreign ownership tell us why closing NZPA is a great advertisement for overseas ownership.”


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.