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Opinion
Home / Gisborne Herald / Opinion

National/Act will sell to highest bidder

Opinion by
Gisborne Herald
11 Aug, 2023 05:23 PMQuick Read

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A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

I’m really concerned that if we get a National/Act government we will end up being owned by multinational corporates and be under the thumb of foreign governments.

Act has cited aims to let public-private partnerships loose in the public health sector. Apparently the Act Party thinks this would be a great idea and a “no-brainer”.

We hold $billions in our ACC and superannuation funds that should fund our future, but which could become vulnerable under a N/Act Govt. Last time they were in government they didn’t add to our super fund and reduced KiwiSaver incentives.

Previously, and under our Labour-led Govt, hospitals, roads, schools etc have been funded out of the taxes collected and loans, but we’ve kept ownership.

However, there were public-private partnerships for Transmission Gully and the Puhoi Roads arranged by National and Act with huge cost overruns.

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If a government gives away and reduces taxes by $billions to those already wealthy and to landlords, you don’t have enough in the kitty to fund infrastructure — let alone the public services you expect. New projects and renewal of infrastructure will by necessity be contracted to profit-making organisations.

I don’t like the idea of our core services and infrastructure being owned by foreign investors who have a profit motive. This will happen if we allow excessive tax cuts that most of us will never see. Most of us will get a few extra $$ that will be eaten up by extra costs for prescriptions, dental, winter energy payments, school lunches and more.

Let’s not go here please.

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Mary-Ann de Kort

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