"Why doesn't the Government abolish the NZ Dairy Board's monopoly now?" asks Libertarianz International Trade Deregulation spokesman Scott Wilson. "There is no legitimate reason for continuing to force the dairy industry to use the Dairy Board to export their produce, nor to protect the proposed Global Dairy Co. for one year. If Global Dairy Co. is going to do such a wonderful job for dairy farmers there is no reason to force them to use it."

"No reason, that is, except for Jim Anderton to get his kicks in favouring some monopolies over others".

"In addition," continmues Wilson, "it is ridiculous to guarantee Global Dairy Co. the market-access quotas available for markets such as the EU for the next six years. Taxpayers, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, paid for that access to be negotiated, therefore the Government should sell the quota rights by tender after the export monopoly is abolished. The Government should also lead the charge at the World Trade Organisation to call for the total elimination of barriers to the trade in dairy products, though this is unlikely given the dependence the Government has on the anti-trade luddites of the Alliance and the Greens."

"However," says Wilson, "Libertarianz welcomes the decision not to subject the Global Dairy Company merger to the Commerce Commission. This should be a precedent for the Government moving the next stage to stop the Commerce Commission's involvement in any mergers by any private company. There is no reason," he says, "for the Government to be involved in any mergers undertaken by any private company, as long as there are no legal barriers to competition in a market."

It's enough to make you vote Libertarianz

ENDS

For further information please contact: Scott Wilson Libertarianz Spokesman to Deregulate International Trade e-mail: swbrb@paradise.net.nz Or contact Libertarianz Media Coordinator: (025) 861 927

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