Labour will fight asset sales all the way in Parliament

Labour makes no apology for its intention to fight the Government all the way on the sale of New Zealand-owned assets, says Labour SOEs spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

“Tomorrow will be a black day for New Zealand when the Government brings the Mixed Ownership Model Bill back into the House following a rushed and disrespectful select committee process,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“The select committee was a cruel charade.

“Before the hearings started 80 per cent of Kiwis were opposed to the partial sell-off of Mighty River Power, Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand.

“There are still 80 per cent opposed.

“The Government hasn’t listened to the evidence. It hasn’t listened to what Kiwis want and believe. It is following its own ideological nose as if there was no future worth owning for New Zealand and New Zealanders,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“Labour will do everything we can to torpedo this legislation because it sells out New Zealand.

“We will be putting up a number of significant SOPs that will require sensible, informed debate.

“But we will also be putting up other SOPs that are simply designed to delay as much as possible the passage of this unwanted Bill,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“Labour makes no apology for that. The longer we can prevent this legislation coming into effect the better it will be for New Zealand. The best result will be if we can prevent it coming into effect at all.

“There is already a huge groundswell of opposition to the Bill. Labour wants to build on this so that even this Government is finally forced to admit that Kiwis are implacably opposed to selling our country off,” Clayton Cosgrove said.