National To Consider "Mixed Model" Ownership Of State-Owned Power Companies

The National Party says it will consider selling parts of New Zealand's state owned power companies if it forms the Government next year.

Speaking on TV One's "Agenda" National Deputy Leader Bill English said; ".clearly those kinds of assets are very topical at the moment, some of them are running very well, they're making substantial profits for Government.. Yeah we'd look at partial floats of those."

Mr English said the National Party supported the "mixed model" concept for state owned enterprises because of the success of businesses like Air New Zealand.

"We're quite relaxed about a mixed model. We think it's working in the cases where it's happened, such as Air New Zealand."

".it shows the benefits of market scrutiny of what it does, the need every day for the management to perform".

Mr English said that this change in ideological position was largely due to public sentiment.

"Well if the nation says we want to retain control of these state assets then we can't expect to be a government and say we're going to go and head off in the opposite direction, I think National has accepted that, as we've accepted with other policies that this is where the public is."

"I think it's just that National's a bit less ideological about it."

He said impetus also comes from the demand of Kiwisaver "mum and dad" investors.

"..in the end Kiwi Saver's not about the government subsidy it's about good investment opportunities, and that's a direction we will talk more about over the next 18 months."

ENDS

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