Mana Calls For All Government Accounts To Be Shifted From Westpac To KiwiBank

MANA is calling for all New Zealand government accounts to be shifted from Westpac to Kiwibank in a move which would express national economic pride in New Zealand.

This follows the announcement last week that the ANZ and Westpac (two of our big four Australian-owned banks) made a combined profit of over $1.5 billion last year. This brings the combined profit of the big four Australian banks (the other two are BNZ and ASB) to $2.778 billion for the year.

MANA economic justice spokesperson John Minto says this means that last year wealthy Australian shareholders made almost $700 in pure profit from every man, woman and child living in New Zealand.

"With hundreds of thousands of kids living in poverty here this is unconscionable.

"And to add insult to injury our government accounts are with Westpac rather than our locally owned Kiwibank.

"Does our national honour consist solely of corporate-sponsored pride in our national rugby team? What about some national economic pride in New Zealand?

MANA is calling on all political parties to join the call for our national accounts to be shifted to Kiwibank.

Mr Minto says let's give the Aussies a taste of kiwi in banking as well as on the rugby field.

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