Keep Our Port Public

The Keep Our Port Public (KOPP) campaign was riveted to read in Christchurch
Mayor Garry Moore’s letter of April 29 that plans to sell off the port of
Lyttelton were hatched several years ago. Nice of Garry to share this with
the nation – but why weren’t those to whom he is actually accountable told
first?

KOPP’s position is that the real owners of the port, the citizens of
Christchurch, should be consulted about any possible sale. On May 4 KOPP sent
letters to the Ombudsman and the Auditor-General asking them to investigate
what we believe are derelictions in statutory consultation requirements and
information sharing by the CCC.

We want open debate about any proposals to sell public assets to private
and/or foreign owners. To be informed such debate needs independent triple
bottom line research into the costs and benefits of proposals – not
inadequate Council-only briefings from Christchurch City Holdings Ltd, the
entity involved in hatching the port sale plan.

We want to rebut nonsense in these proposals, such as the Mayor’s claim that
selling the port to a foreign owner would somehow reduce New Zealand’s
balance of payments deficit. The facts are that the deficit is almost totally
due to the expatriation of profits and dividends from foreign-owned companies
and investors. Selling the port to a foreign owner would therefore make the
deficit worse, not better.

Further, changing the port ownership will not change the amount of cargo
available for export. The key to moving cargo efficiently is ongoing
investment in infrastructure and labour skills. If the current owners make
that investment, they will reap the rewards, which include profits for
investment in civic infrastructure, as is currently the case. If they give it
away, rates will go up and so will the national deficit. KOPP will continue
to resist any attempts to turn our local asset in to a national liability.

Christine Dann
on behalf of Keep Our Port Public