Heather Roy's rent-a-military-base scheme a bad joke

Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday 22 April 2009

Alliance Party defence spokesperson Tom Dowie says a Government proposal considering selling military bases and leasing them back from the private sector would be "hilarious if it was not serious."

Mr Dowie says the statement by Associate Defence Minister Heather Roy that National and Act supported public-private partnerships in the military shows that the "beancounters" were in control of New Zealand's defence.

"What next? Perhaps the next part of her plan is to hire mercenaries? Or perhaps she wants a competitive model of military contractors bidding for the New Zealand defence contract?"

Mr Dowie says that if ACT had their way, there wouldn't be anything left to defend anyway, because New Zealand would have been completely sold off to overseas corporations.

He says that if Ms Roy wants to be involved in defence, she should stay home and watch re-runs of Dad's Army.

"Selling off our bases and then leasing them back, is nothing more than privatising ownership of our capacity to defend ourselves."

Mr Dowie says he wonders what will happen if the military run short on their budget.

"Will the landlords come in and frogmarch off a few regiments and leave them standing on the road outside the base?"

He says the "public private partnership" sounds like a replay of Rogernomics where the taxpayer will be filling the pockets of the Government's private sector mates.

"The public pays and the private owners profit. That's not a partner, it's a parasite."

"The New Zealand defence forces should not be forced to engage in any ridiculous privatization scheme."

Mr Dowie says if there needs to be cost savings there should be a review of the use of personnel in places such as Afghanistan.

ENDS

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