CITIZENS AGAINST PRIVATISATION
Media Release, 21/6/07

Water Services User Charges Rob the Working Class Majority

The heart of the matter of water services is user pays including flat charges. This is why Citizens Against Privatisation organised a picket of Bruce Hucker on Sunday, May 27 - in defence of the working class, against the harsh effects of water user charges on the working class.

We targeted Auckland Deputy Mayor Hucker because he is a prime mover both in Metrowater's continued existence and price hikes, and as Chair of the Shareholders Representative Group of Watercare, poised to be given legal power to make profits like Metrowater's.

Watercare's doubled wholesale water prices will further reduce property rates for the rich across the Auckland region, and clobber the low-income majority, especially large families and tenants, with even more unaffordable user pays water/wastewater.

Citizens Against Privatisation condemns the cynical fancy-footwork of so-called left, and right, factions on Auckland City Council, which both continued today to support shifting the burden of payment for essential services onto the working class. Ordinary people know what City Vision's "minimal cost" for water means, just as it's quite clear that C&R's "more modest dividends" - pre-election - don't mean non-profit water bills.

We say to all the politicians and to those whose interests you do represent, expect a fight, you can only rob the working class for so long.

ends

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