The 'Tiz Fizz'! Judith Tizard's Extraordinary Reaction To A Simple Question!

Hi Folks!

The attacks on the Water Pressure Group are streaming in!

The right have slammed us for court costs, for our audacity in challenging the corporate privatisation agenda via public-private- partnerships - now the 'left'! For the same reason????

There appears to be a campaign to discredit the Water Pressure Group by making personal attacks on myself as Media Spokesperson.

Could these attacks be linked?

What follows is an extraordinary reaction from Judith Tizard, to a very simple question asked (again) of all Labour Party MPs.

" Is the Papakura District Council Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) with United Water (the largest private water company in Australasia) a form of privatisation YES or No?"

We still haven't got a reply - from ANY Labour Party MP (Or, Sandra Lee for that matter!)

Could it be that Judith Tizard couldn't answer the question, because: although the stated aim of section 129 of the Local Government Bill is: "Restrictions on exit from delivery of water supply and wastewater services ... (3) This section does not prevent- - ......

(b) contracts for the management of parts of the system for water supply or wastewater services if -

(i) the contract is not for the management of the system as a whole; or (ii) the contract is for the management of the system as a whole, but not for a term longer than 15 years; or

(c) a joint venture for the construction or management of reticulated water supply, sewerage, or sewage treatment networks if the ownership of the assets remains with the territorial authority; or ....."

Please answer this question Judith Tizard! And Sandra Lee!

Is it not true that under the Local Government Bill as currently drafted - that Auckland's regional water services COULD be combined in one big water company? And a contract for the operation and management of Auckland's regional water services COULD thus end up in the hands of multinational water corporations under a public-private-partnership, as already exists in the Papakura public-private-partnership with United Water?

A simple yes or no will do just fine.

AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE TO PUSH WATER PRIVATISATION?

What we have here appears to be an unholy alliance between a 'centre-left' central government apparently working in with a rightwing local government to set up the privatisation of Auckland region's water services through public-private-partnerships.

The Birch Report, released 14.12.2001 stated:

"Suggest Council investigate the possibility of using a public- private- partnership model for Metrowater and Watercare."

(Pg 48 of the Birch Report - down load from: www.akcity.govt.nz)

The following resolutions were passed by the Auckland City Council following discussion of the Birch Report at a special meeting of the Finance and Corporate Business Committee (19.12.2001).

"BX. That the Council confirm its interest in the possiblity of some private sector participation in appropriate infrastructural projects as a means of helping ensure the completion of infrastructural projects which might otherwise lack funding sources.

BY. That the Chief Executive provide Council with more information on national and international developments in this area and in particular Australian experiences with a view to helping the Council develop some guidelines on what might be appropriate infrastructural projects that could be considered for a public/private partnership approach and with a view to developing some guidelines on how competitive private sector participation might take place with some of the city's infrastructural projects."

THE FACTS THUS TEND TO CONFIRM THAT THE WATER PRESSURE GROUP 'S CONCERNS ARE VERY WELL-FOUNDED!

If we weren't on the right track, and being effective in 'blowing the whistle' on this second wave of 'Rogernomics' - privatisation via public-private-partnerships - we would be ignored, not attacked.

These attacks from both the pro-corporate right and 'left' prove that we must be doing something right!

If you feel angry, DO SOMETHING!

Most importantly - don't pay your water bills. When the majority of households in the majority of streets all over Auckland City refuse to pay their water bills - to stop the water privatisation agenda, and to get rid of commercialised Metrowater - THAT MESSAGE CANNOT BE IGNORED!

We do need money to help get the facts out, and build our civil disobedience campaign. The 10 petitioners who challenged ACRN's secret water privatisation agenda were acting in the public interest.on behalf of the Water Pressure Group. We're a group that sticks it's neck out, and 'has a go'. We are not scared to tell the truth, 'call a spade a spade' and a 'sellout a sellout'! We need money - we are all community volunteers, unlike Judith Tizard, and charge $0.00 for our efforts! Please help.

Please make out cheques (if you have already - thank you very much!) to The Water Pressure Group and send to PO Box 19764 Avondale, Auckland.

Thanks!

THE 'TIZ FIZZ'!

Subject: Re: Is the Papakura PPP with United Water a form of privatisation yes or no?? To: From: "Judith Tizard" Date sent: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 11:22:57 +1300

Penny,

I am really tired of your snarling and vitriol. The question I want you to answer is " Why did you and the Greens work so hard to elect John Banks and his supporters on the Auckland City Council, and to enable them to support the Birch Report?"

Until you begin to see that politics only works for the things you believe in when you cooperate with people who share your goals, you will go on dividing the liberal/left vote and the conservatives willwin. Every time. I have put my efforts into working with a government that is changing the Local Government Act to ensure public assets are protected in future from right wing pillagers who want to profit, personally from them. There is no law that allows a government to overturn a local governmentdecision and with 59 seats out of 120, we are unlikely to be able to pass such a law even if we wanted to. And you might like to think what a National-Act government would do with a law like that if they decided to interfere with what cities like Christchurch have done.

I wish you well with the council you worked so hard to get elected in Auckland. It is your Council, Penny. I hope there will be some pieces to pick up in 3 years after they have destroyed Auckland's public infrastructure and flogged it of for private profit. That will beyour legacy to the future. Well done Penny.

Perhaps you could stop bombarding people, uselessly, with electronic nastiness and sit down with City Vision and try to work with good, decent, hardworking, politically experienced people who have a sense of history and who have made a long term commitment to the good of Auckland instead of trying to destroy them.

Penny, I would like to believe that you actually do want to achieve the things you claim to care about, but your selfish, stupid, egocentric political behaviour makes that hard. There is no one right way and it is not necessarily your way. Having worked for my whole life to see good Labour people elected to Parliament and to councils, I am not going to be threatened into throwing all that trust and commitment aside because Penny Bright wants everyone to do it her way or she will tear the whole structure down.

Merry Christmas.

Judith Tizard

The letter that pressed Judith's buttons (jammed them full-on!)

OPEN LETTER TO ALL LABOUR PARTY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Subject: Is the Papakura PPP with United Water a form of privatisation yes or no?? Send reply to: pennybright@xtra.co.nz Date sent: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 02:15:24 +1300

" 2002 is election year. Back on 30 January 2001, the Water Pressure Group (Auckland) asked you all a very simple, straightforward question. Was the Papakura District Council franchise with United Water privatisation yes or no?

We note that NOT ONE of you bothered to answer this straightforward question - despite the Labour Party answer to our pre-election questionnaire

"6. We do not support privatising water services."

(We did receive replies from Laila Harre, Associate Minster of Commerce(Alliance); Jeanette Fitzsimons and Keith Locke (Green Party) that agreed with us - that the Papakura District Council franchise with United Water was privatisation.

We ask again - using the term 'public-private-partnership' instead of 'franchising.' Is the Papakura District Council PublicPrivate-Partnership (PPP) with United Water (the largest private water company in Australasia) a form of privatisation YES or No?

For some background holiday reading on water public-private- partnerships suggest you look up the website below and search for the publication "Water in public hands" by David Hall.

http://www.world-psi.org/psi.nsf/publications?openpage

We respectfully suggest that if you're not up with the play on water PPPs - then you should be.

After two years of a Labour/Alliance Coalition government what is there to show on water? We're out there, scrapping on the streets, in Court - fighting for affordable water services, run as essential public services - not profit-making businesses - what are you, who have the power to do something against commercialised and privatised water actually doing about it? Worse than nothing - Paul Swain Minister of Commerce has stated that the Labour Government believes that it is appropriate for water services to come under the Commerce Act!

We don't want water services run under the commercial model - as LATEs - end of story. Water LATEs entrench user-charges for both water and wastewater and hit those who can least afford it. You know that. You could have voted to remove water services from LATE legislation. You didn't.

The Birch Report has recommended that Council investigate the possibility of a public-private-partnership for both Metrowater and Watercare. Auckland Citizen & Ratepayers Now (ACT and National at local body level) support public-private-partnerships for water services. Where do you stand - Labour MPs???

There is a line in the sand. If you don't oppose public-private-partnerships for Metrowater and Watercare - then effectively you are supporting them.

We have waited over ten months for a reply to our very straightforward question. Looking forward to your prompt reply.

Beware - next year is election year.

Penny Bright
Media Spokesperson
Water Pressure Group (Auckland)

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