Day of shame for National Government and KiwiRail management

The Alliance Party says Friday 15 July is a shameful day for New Zealand, as a shipment of Chinese built railway wagons are unloaded in Tauranga, less than twenty four hours after it was announced over 40 wagon builders at Hillside workshops will be made redundant.

Alliance Party co-leader Kay Murray says KiwiRail CEO Jim Quinn should resign immediately.

She says Minister for Transport Steven Joyce and Prime Minister John Key should be held accountable in the November elections for failing to intervene in this debacle that has seen New Zealand taxpayers money go offshore and New Zealand workers sent to the scrapheap.

Another 30 workers will meet a similar fate at Woburn workshops in Lower Hutt.

“If policies like this go unchecked the only jobs available will be in hotels and on dairy farms. We won't own any hotels or farms though. Ownership will be the domain of wealthy overseas investment corporations. We will be tenants in our own land.”

The Alliance is backing union pickets in Tauranga.

“They are doing it for the workers at Hillside and Woburn, and ultimately all New Zealand workers. Unlike Quinn, Joyce and Key, they deserve wholehearted support of all New Zealanders.”

The Alliance Party would require all rolling stock to be built in New Zealand in KiwiRail's own workshops.

Ms Murray says “We challenge all other political parties to say the same.”