The latest
contender for the Christchurch mayoralty, Darryll Park is lining up the city
for asset sales if he wins.
Park says he
is not advocating asset sales “at this point in time” but wants to “open the
books” and “carry out a full financial review of the council’s expenditure…” if
he is elected.
This is a
classic right-wing tactic. It has been used time and again over the past 35
years to justify fire sales of government and local council assets. It starts
with “opening the books” which inevitably results in “shock – horror” claims of
burgeoning debt which require the sale of assets to prevent double-digit rate
increases.
The corporate
sector love it. City residents are shafted.
Current Mayor
Lianne Dalziel did precisely the same thing when she first became mayor and
tried to get council approval for the sale of $600 million of city assets
through engaging notorious privatisers, Cameron and Partners, to review the
city’s books.
Dalziel failed
to get her way, after a concerted community campaign to stop her, but did lead
a failed charge to sell the council works agency City Care. Park wants to pick
up where she left off.
Thank goodness
voters don’t need to choose between them.
Our
MintoforMayor.nz campaign categorically promises we will not sell out city
residents by selling assets.
Our campaign
promises are based on a future which makes sense. Our promises will SAVE money
for ratepayers while addressing the three critical issues facing the city: our
Climate Crisis, Water crisis and Inequality crisis.
