National: saying one thing, doing another

f saying one thing but doing another was to become a degree subject John Key would have a doctorate in it, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.

“John Key has said he shares Kiwis concerns about foreigners outbidding New Zealanders and buying up our farm land.

“He has said he is worried we could become ‘tenants in our own country’. He has said ‘there is genuine concern that we shouldn’t sell out the golden goose.’

“He has said National would tighten the rules.

“Yet since saying all those things National has given its approval to virtually every application from foreign investors to buy New Zealand land. The only one turned down was because of poor character,” David Parker said.

“National approved the largest ever dairy farm sale to foreigners –in Southland to European buyers. Labour opposed it.

“National then approved an even bigger sale - $20 million of dairy farms in one transaction in Otago to USA interests. Labour opposed it.

“National is now set on approving an even bigger sale - the Crafar farms to Chinese interests. Labour opposes this too.

“The truth is National could have declined to approve all or any of these applications. It chooses not to because it wants them to proceed.  It says one thing, and then does the opposite,” David Parker said.

“Before this latest sale the Crafar farms were New Zealand owned and farmed by the private sector. After this approval they will be foreign owned and farmed by the Government.

“National’s strong desire to approve the sales is underscored by the joint venture it has set up between Government-owned Landcorp and Shanghai Pengxin to enable the deal to proceed.

“The sale of our farm land is not in New Zealand’s economic interests. We get poorer as a result, not wealthier.

“The absence of a proper plan to grow our exports and the better paid jobs New Zealanders need is shown up by the Government’s preoccupation with flogging off our land and our power companies. Changing who owns what already exists does nothing to improve the output of our economy,” David Parker said.