Guest Post by Ariana Tutanganui-Tamati - Peter Dunne -Will he rise from the ashes and save our state owned assets or is he really just a puppet?

Thanks to Ariana for allowing me to post this piece that she has written.

It's very symbolic that Peter Dunne's puppet was the worst damaged in the fire at the Backbenchers last week and that Hekia Parata was forced to evacuate a neighbouring apartment.

 

This is a sign. Peter has the opportunity to redeem himself. `Will he rise from the ashes and save our state owned assets or is he really just a puppet'.

 

Even Dunne himself admitted on National Radio that his puppet is resurrectable. "I'd like to suggest one or two improvements. I think just a general spruce up will do. I don't normally go around wearing sack cloths and ashes”.

 

If Dunne keeps insisting that State Asset Sales is a Dunne Deal he will forever remain in the minds eye of the public, a sad figure of insignificance who had a buffy hairdo rather than be  what he purports to be, a family centred man and the defender of the rights of ordinary mum’s and dad’s.

 

The partial sale of state owned assets is definitely not in the interests of his representative group. Even his own electorate have tried to show him the errs in the logic of asset sales by facilitating and presenting him with public submissions. Dunne refused to meet with members of his own electorate in person or answer the questions and serious concerns of the submitter's.

 

To date Dunne has chosen to tow National’s party line over his own on this issue. In the Election United Future said that they would fight for NZ Owned. Dunne thinks that having a cap of 10% for any one investor and a private sector minority share holding of 49% is enough to keep our state owned power companies from eventually being assumed by foreign companies. Members of his electorate have been trying to warn Dunne of the serious implications of the Trans Pacific Partnership since he started his election campaign last year. TPPA  exposes this Government  to be sued by large coporate entities and it only takes a foreign shareholder investment of 1% to be able to enact this.

 

Dunne should stick to his knitting and provide blankets for those who will be left out in the cold should he allow this Bill to go through.

 

But we have seen Dunne pull his own strings and pull in the Government by using the `no surprises’ clause in the confidence and supply agreement with the increased class sales that, owing to mounting heat from the public, forced Hekia to evacuate the policy.

 

People’s Power Ohariu will be taking a letter to Peter Dunne tomorrow to Parliament at 1pm urging him to vote against or abstain from voting on the Mixed Ownership Model Bill. The Bill is not a Dunne Deal yet. The passing of this Bill rests on his shoulders. Will Dunne do a U-turn on supporting this Bill or will he follow National by pandering to the interests of the wealthy, sharebrokers and financiers who are the true beneficiaries of this Bill.