Qantas Deal Down The Dunne

New Zealand First has accused Peter Dunne of selling out New Zealanders with his tacit support for Qantas to buy into Air New Zealand.

New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters said there was no room for Qantas ownership of our national airline and pointed out that Mr Dunne was again helping Labour flog off assets – just as he did as a Labour MP in the eighties.

“Air New Zealand competes with Qantas domestically and on the key Tasman and Pacific routes. As a result of Labour’s sale of our airline in 1989, along with the rest of our assets, the New Zealand taxpayer has paid twice for a stake in Air New Zealand and we do not want to hand a chunk of it to the Aussies.

“We need to retain control of our export and tourism links and maintain domestic services.

“The Government has got to say no to any deal between the two competitors and Peter Dunne’s pathetic, weak-willed appeal to New Zealand business to provide the alternative is a cop out.

“Labour is acting to true to its past, and Mr Dunne is meekly falling into line, just as he did before,” said Mr Peters.

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