National's great bargain basement sell off of New Zealand kicks off (round 2)

Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday 23 July 2009

The Alliance Party says that moves to loosen up New Zealand's already sloppy rules on foreign control of the economy would mean the future threat of further privatization and loss of assets.

The Minister of Finance Bill English announced today it was going to be even easier for New Zealand land and assets to be sold off to overseas owners.

Alliance Party trade spokesperson Victor Billot says that in conjunction with free trade policies, this meant New Zealanders were becoming tenants in their own land.

He says billions of dollars are being extracted from the New Zealand economy annually in dividends to overseas owners.

"This is simply a question of who benefits from the New Zealand economy – the working people of New Zealand who generate the wealth, or overseas owners?"

Mr Billot says the Alliance would like to see key parts of the New Zealand economy such as infrastructure in public ownership, operated for the benefit of the people of New Zealand.

"We have seen the success of the Alliance's Kiwibank concept and that concept should be extended to other areas, to give New Zealanders real choice - the choice to support New Zealand owned public enterprises run for the public good not private profit."

ENDS

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