Richard Prosser MP
Spokesperson for Primary Industries

15 September 2015

PM quick to subsidise foreign firms but not kiwi ones

Confirmation Silver Fern Farms will seek foreign capital from Shanghai Maling, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned enterprise Bright Food, shows government bias towards foreign companies, says New Zealand First.

“The Prime Minister quickly found a $67 million ‘subsidy’ for Warner Bros and $30 million for Rio Tinto, but he’s not even interested in finding a cent for the New Zealand-owned company that is our biggest beef exporter,” says New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Richard Prosser.

“He is content to allow more foreign control. We should be protecting Silver Fern Farms and the export earnings they make for New Zealand, not an overseas company.

“The red meat industry’s own Meat Industry Excellence Group has come up with a solution – the Newco proposal - which the government is ignoring,” says Mr Prosser.

“New Zealand First has drafted a bill to keep the majority of New Zealand’s red meat industry in New Zealand ownership.

“All our farmers ask for is temporary assistance from the taxpayer for no more than five years and they will even provide a return on that investment unlike Warner Bros, which made more than a billion dollars profit last year but never repaid any money to New Zealand.

“Taxpayer investment in Silver Fern Farms is not rocket science, it’s just plain common sense,” says Mr Prosser.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The New Government’s Policies Of Yesteryear

Winston Peters is routinely described as the kingmaker who decides whether the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded, but equally important role as the scapegoat who can be blamed for killing taxes that his senior partners never much wanted in the first place. Neither Ardern nor Robertson for example, really wanted a capital gains tax, for fear of Labour copping the “tax and spend“ label they ended up being saddled with anyway. Usefully though, they could tell the party faithful it was wicked old Winston who killed the CGT... More

Government: National, ACT, & NZ First To Deliver For All Kiwis

The National Party claims the new coalition government will be stable, effective, and will deliver for all Kiwis. "Despite the challenging economic environment, New Zealanders can look forward to a better future because of the changes the new Government will make ... We know that, with the right leadership, the right policies, and the right direction, together New Zealanders can make this an even better country," says Christopher Luxon... More

ALSO:

• ACT - Real Change Begins Today
• Green Party - A Strong Opposition To Divisive Government
• Te Pati Maori - Luxon’s Government Will Whitewash Aotearoa
• NZ College Of Midwives - College Supports Solution Focussed Approach For New Health Minister
• Federation of Primary Health - Yes Minister – The Federation Is Looking Forward To Working With You