GLOBAL PEACE & JUSTICE AUCKLAND
www.gpja.pl.net

31 May 2007

Media Release:

A tragedy waiting to happen – Minister Mallard must go!

The tragedy of the death of Folole Muliaga in Mangere was a tragedy waiting to happen.

There is the usual smokescreen of inquiries but whatever details emerge it is abundantly clear that the quest for profit in a state-owned company has come before the basic humanitarianism New Zealand once took for granted.

The Mangere family tragedy is the outcome.

Families in low-income communities pay a far higher proportion of their income for essential services than others but no account is taken of this by the government or its corporate bullies in state-owned corporations.

Government research shows that one in six families across the country borrow money to pay for day to day living expenses such as the electricity bill or the grocery bill. In low-income communities such as Mangere this figure would be far higher – perhaps up to 80%

Trevor Mallard as been the main driver and cheerleader for these profit-driven policies for essential services. If there was accountability within the government then this Minister of State-Owned Enterprises would resign.

The bitterest of ironies is that the very Pacific Island families who so loyally support Labour are the very ones who have suffered the most from the free-market policies and corporate capitalism pursued by Labour.

Last week the Prime Minister was in Mangere and spoke boldly of the community being Labour’s community. She could deliver far more to the people of Mangere in the short time if she delivered the resignation of Trevor Mallard.

ENDS

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