Press Release
MANA Leader and the New Zealand Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira
Thursday 16th February 2012

Warning to Overseas Investors: Hands Off Our Assets

“Today I want to send a warning to overseas investors: keep your hands off our assets” says MANA Leader and the New Zealand Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, Hone Harawira. “At present the Government of New Zealand is trying to sell shares in our national airline and four energy companies. This has been met with widespread disapproval by the great majority of citizens in our country. This is about keeping what we own in our hands for our future”.

“Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) want their interests in the assets protected. At the moment the New Zealand Government is trying to ignore rights that were afforded to Maori under this country’s founding document, The Treaty of Waitangi. I am yet to meet one person from New Zealand who believes that the sale of state assets is a good idea”.

“Rest assured that if MANA becomes part of a new government, then we will strongly argue for any shares sold to overseas investors to be returned to New Zealand hands. If the New Zealand Government pushes ahead and sells assets, I would urge overseas investors to think twice about buying them. The news of our High Court telling the New Zealand Government to think twice about the sale of Crafar Farms for $200 million to the Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin was supported with much support here in New Zealand. Unless overseas investors do not want a lengthy legal battle, I would advise them to stay away from purchasing our assets”.

ENDS

© Scoop Media