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PM Launches Assault On National's SOE Comments

Published: Mon 24 Sep 2007 05:17 PM
Scoop Audio: PM Launches Assault On National's SOE Comments


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The Prime Minister Helen Clark
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Opposition Finance spokesman Bill English's comments on TVNZ's Agenda program last weekend were pounced upon by the Prime Minister at this afternoon's post-cabinet press conference.
Mr English said on Agenda that the National Party supported the "mixed model" concept for state owned enterprises because of the success of businesses like Air New Zealand.
The PM had also been an avid viewer of Agenda.
"Why would we want to go from very successful sate owned company's returning a dividend to every Kiwi to some Kiwi's having the chance to get a lot more from them than others," said the PM when asked about Mr English's comments.

The PM told the media that she was "glad" that some policy had emerged from the National Party, policy which, in her opinion, would remind the public of why they were 'turned off' the National Party in the 1990s.
"I don't support privatisation of our state assets and it won't be occurring under a Labour Government," said the PM.
It was presumed the PM meant under a Labour Government led by her considering the massive amount of state owned assets that were flogged off under the Labour Government which she was part of during the 1980s.
As well as having a crack at potential National Party policy the PM also found time to comment on the Police investigation into the homicide investigation of Anan Liu, the 27 year-old mother of abandoned three year-old Qian Xun Xue and avoid commenting on the Police disciplinary action against suspended Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards.
At the start of the post-cabinet press conference the PM also outlined details of her upcoming trip to Europe where as well as meeting the new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown she will also have talks with the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Mr Blair is the special envoy of the Quartet of Middle East mediators - the US, Russia, the EU and the UN.
Listen to the Prime Minister's press conference
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See also… Scoop Video: PM's Post Cabinet Presser 24 Sept. 2007
ENDS

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