Speech notes from the Alliance party

One tory is as bad as another General debate speech, Willie Jackson 10 October 2001

The Alliance and Mana Motuhake congratulate Bill English on his new position as Leader of the National Party and wish him luck. He's going to need it if National are keen on getting back into government.

But to be honest, it doesn't make a lot of difference to us who leads the National Party. Even though Bill may be a nice guy, it's National's policies we're concerned about. And when it comes to policy, one tory is as bad as another.

Tory's can be relied upon to do several things: they will sell off our assets, they will give tax cuts to those who don't need them and they will compromise our health, education and social programs in the name of user pays.

The National Party website this morning says 'We're working on policies to get New Zealand going in the right direction again'. We believe you, the National party do want to move to the RIGHT. They're anti taxes and pro-privatisation. They even want to put public money into private schools according to Gerry Brownlee.

So be warned, if they try to make out that they're going to do anything on social programs like jobs, health and education, ask them what they're going to cut to pay for it.

There's a lot of in fighting in the tory camps at the moment. In fact, there are two in particular about to fight it out in Auckland. John Banks and Christine Fletcher are fighting it out, trying to get Auckland to support them as Mayor of Auckland. I have to remind Aucklanders again that one Tory is as bad as another.

Both Christine Fletcher and John Banks were part of the government that gave Tranzrail 4000 kilometers of our railways for a dollar a year. Now the government's had to pay $81 million to sort out the mess they created in Auckland alone. That's reason enough to vote for Matt McCarten, the only candidate on the left in Auckland.

Auckland has the biggest transport problems in New Zealand. National had 9 years in government and did nothing, in fact they made it a lot worse by privatising rail. Christine Fletcher has had her turn as Mayor and couldn't sort it out either. They've had a go and it hasn't worked. Public control of Auckland's transport assets under a single authority is the only sensible option now it's clear that the lack of coordination and management up to now, hasn't worked.

Now that Banks has pulled out in the lead in Auckland's mayoral race, the race is really between Matt McCarten and the Tories. If you're an Aucklander and you support social services, effective management and leadership for the people you only have one choice, that's Matt McCarten.

The Alliance has an excellent history in Auckland local body politics. If you want to save public assets, remember the Auckland Regional Services Trust. The Tories set it up to sell assets which they couldn't manage to run at a profit. The Alliance gained control of it, saved the assets and ran a profit for the people of Auckland.

You've got two choices in our local body elections in Auckland - the Tories or the lefties. This is what Matt McCarten, the left wing choice for Mayor would do in Auckland:

Public Assets would be retained. The Alliance opposes privatisation and will keep Ports of Auckland, the Airport, water services, and more in public ownership.

The Transport problem would be fixed. The Alliance will integrate transport under a single-focus authority. Instead of producing yet more grandiose visions we will get on with the job of providing more trains, buses and ferries, bringing in cheap standard fares, and a 6-month trial of free fares at peak hours. We will integrate ticketing and make sure all modes interconnect.

User Charges and Uniform Rates would be abolished. We will get rid of all of user pays, water and wastewater charges and uniform charges, which unfairly burden the less well off.

Aucklanders' Savings will be protected. Aucklanders own nearly one billion dollars' worth of cash and assets, managed by Infrastructure Auckland. The incumbent mayors want to squander it on monuments to themselves. We will stop them. We will put Infrastructure Auckland under the democratic control of an Alliance ARC to ensure the value of Aucklanders' assets is protected. Instead of drawing down Infrastructure Auckland's funds through grants as happens now, we will build them up by lending them out at low interest rates for infrastructural development.

Beaches will be cleaned up and new narks opened. We will fix the stormwater drainage to stop our harbours becoming sewers every time it rains. We will improve our urban environment in other ways too: The ARC has neglected its responsibility to provide adequate open spaces in new subdivisions. We won't.

Slums will be stopped and homes built instead. The Alliance in control of the ARC will require the Territorial Land Authorities to make rules to stop sub-standard speculative residential developments. Council housing must be of good quality, affordable and appropriate, with adequate open spaces for recreation.

Auckland will be made GE-free. The Alliance will use all means at its disposal to prevent field trials or commercial release of genetically modified crops.

The Alliance has shown what it can do both in national and local body politics. We can save public assets and make them work for the people bringing jobs and social services back to all the regions in New Zealand.

If you want these things for Auckland you only have one choice for Mayor. Matt McCarten and the Alliance.

ENDS

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