In The News

PM reiterates SOE 10% share cap plans, 23 November, 2011
News that the government would legislate to cap the number of shares held in any state assets it sells should come as no surprise.

Evidence Privatisation Makes Economic Sense, 11 November, 2011
It's time to apply some logic to the increasing furore around the sale of state assets espoused by National.

Chambers of Commerce tell politicians to expand SOE sell-down plans, 7 November, 2011
The government could extend National's so-called mixed ownership model to all central and local government commercially owned and controlled organisations.
 
Aussies to advise govt on asset sales, 2 November, 2011
Independent advisory services during the consultation and execution phase for each transaction should the government proceed with extending the mixed ownership model. 

Caution about asset-sale figures, 2 November, 2011
Figures being bandied about on what returns state-owned assets are providing to the Government are skewing the argument on whether they should be sold after the election.

Govt appoints Lazard for asset sale advice, 1 November, 2011
Cameron Partners has a history of advising governments on corporate deals, including the bailout of Air New Zealand in 2001.

Treasury hires Aussie advisers for asset sales, 1 November, 2011
Lazard's managing director in Australia is John Wylie, who worked on the privatisation of Qantas and the selldown of power companies by the Victorian government.

Summerset shares start trading up 3.6pc, 1 November, 2011
The initial public offer (IPO) undertaken by Summerset's majority owner, Quadrant Private Equity, raised $123.6 million - the largest IPO in New Zealand for more than two years.

Nats haven't made case for asset sales, 01 November, 2011
Last year the companies marked for partial privatisation – Genesis Energy, Mighty River Power, Meridian, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand – reported combined profits of $581 million.

Asset Sales and Compulsory Super, 31 October, 2011
Air New Zealand and Kiwirail. Air New Zealand is already in the mixed ownership model and is working well.

Business supports super review: survey, 31 October, 2011
52.8 per cent of those polled believe the mixed ownership model outlined for state-owned energy companies ''is about right''.

Privatisation essential for growth, 31 October, 2011
ACT New Zealand SOE Spokesman David Seymour today welcomed National's initiative on the partial privatisation of SOEs as a sound plan.

National boost for education, 31 October, 2011
 $7 billion in proceeds from the mixed-ownership model would be putting $1 billion into modernising and transforming New Zealand schools over the next five years.

Kiwibank could get asset sale cash, 31 October, 2011
Selling off New Zealand Post ''would be quite challenging as parts of ... He said he supported investment in Kiwbank but not at the expense of other SOEs.

John Key's Speech to Business New Zealand, 31 October, 2011
The first priority for that funding will be a $1 billion programme of modernising and transforming New Zealand schools.

Key boxes clever on assets, but public's not buying it, 31 October, 2011
Partial privatisation intentions have nothing to do with ideology.
 
Election 2011 issue: Asset sales, 13 October, 2011
Asset sales have been a controversial issue since National announced in January that four of New Zealand’s biggest power companies will be sold off if the party returns to power in November.

Westpac sensitive to potential power conflict, 13 October, 2011
Westpac's David McLean says that while the bank will want to participate in the potential SOE sell-offs, Mr Power will not be directly involved.

United Future’s Peter Dunne calls for debate on privatisation limits, 10 October, 2011
Peter Dunne wants a debate on future limits for what state-owned assets should be allowed to be sold off, saying Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and water should be no-go areas.

Mighty River in Great Shape for Partial Sell-Off, 06 October, 2011
Mighty River Power's leaders say the company is in good shape for partial privatisation if a re-elected National Party-led government goes ahead with a partial sell-off.

MRP faces $24 million hit if March price spike upheld, 5 October, 2011
Both MRP and Meridian are early candidates for partial privatisation, but the process could be complicated if the March 26 arguments drag on and make it difficult to draw up definitive starting accounts for either business.

Treasury gauging appetite for state-owned asset sales, 23 September, 2011
The Treasury, through its advisers, has been testing local and international investor sentiment to assess the level of interest in the Government's plan for partial privatisation of state-owned assets, market sources say.

NZ Markets Will Benefit from Part-Privatisation, 05 September, 2011
3 News business editor Michael Wilson on the latest US market slump and how part-privatisation will benefit the economy.

SOE sale may leave 15pc offshore, 02 September, 2011
The government expects partly privatised state-owned enterprises will have no more than 10 per cent to 15 per cent foreign ownership, and no one investor will be allowed to own more than 10 per cent of an SOE's shares.
 
Association supports cap on SOE shares, 01 September, 2011
The Shareholders' Association has spoken in support of the idea of a cap on shares in state owned enterprises.
 
Strong NZ demand expected for SOE shares, 31 August, 2011
A large and growing pool of New Zealand investment funds will ensure strong local demand for the Government's $5 billion to $7 billion mixed ownership programme.
 
NZ asset sell off would cap foreign ownership at 15%, 31 August, 2011
The government expects partly privatised state-owned enterprises will have no more than 10% to 15% foreign ownership, and no one investor will be allowed to own more than 10% of an SOE’s shares.
 
Foreign SOE ownership inevitable under National, 31 August, 2011
The National Government's tinkering with 10 per cent ownership caps will not stop state-owned assets (SOEs) ultimately falling into foreign hands, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today. "

NZ's experience key to asset sales, 25 August, 2011
Treasury's most recent advice to Government on the mixed-ownership model says that "New Zealand's experience with Telecom arguably represents a case study where the appropriate regulatory environment was not in place before privatisation".
 
Privatisation of health on political agenda, 24 August, 2011
The West Coast DHB's "suggestions" of introducing private surgery at Grey Hospital and, "shifting hospital services into GP practices and the community",

Brash to announce core economic policies, 24 August, 2011
"You can also expect strong advocacy for radical reform of the RMA and privatisation, and realism about the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation. "The National Government didn't create the current mess; for the most part it was created by ...

Asset sale plan giant ponzi scheme, 24 August, 2011
Mr Peters told an audience at the Wainuiomata RSA this afternoon that the power companies identified for the government's mixed ownership model were owned by the people of New Zealand and they should stay that way, despite overseas interest.

Mixed-ownership model, 23 August, 2011
A third of National Party voters would favour a capital gains tax over partial asset sales, while just over half supported their party’s policy to sell down government stakes in five state owned enterprises.
 
Lobby to oppose ACC privatisation, 22 August, 2011
Dr Smith said National was not privatising ACC any more so than TVNZ or Radio NZ were being privatised when other television and radio stations were allowed to compete. "People will still have the choice of using ACC.
 
Ailments could fester for years, 22 August, 2011
This should worry the National Government with its plans to partly privatise a number of the remaining government-owned assets, including power companies and Solid Energy, and reduce its shareholding in Air New Zealand to 51 per cent.

SOE share-buying consortium 'good for smaller iwi', 22 August, 2011
Fifty iwi chairs have agreed to join forces and buy into state-owned energy companies, and Air New Zealand, if the government goes ahead with plans for a 49% sell-down of shares next year.
 
Q+A interview with Don Brash and David Cunliffe, 21 August, 2011
Don Brash & David Cunliffe interviewed by Guyon Easpiner about asset sales.

Broadsides: State asset sales, 27 July, 2011
We asked Labour's Jacinda Ardern and National's Nikki Kaye: Is a partial sell-off of Government assets to raise funds a good idea?
 
Labour push against asset sales doomed to fail, 21 June, 2011
Labour's private member's bill has about as much chance of becoming law as Namibia has of lifting the Rugby World Cup. Probably even less.
It will need something close to a miracle even to make it onto Parliament's playing field this side of November's election.
 
Goff proposes vote on state asset sales, 21 June, 2011
Labour leader Phil Goff has called for a referendum on state asset sales or for the issue to be entrenched, requiring more than 75 per cent support in Parliament.
Mr Goff released a private member's bill yesterday as part of Labour' s opposition to National's plans to sell minority stakes in state-owned power companies.
 
Popular or not, Key must push asset sales, 28 May, 2011
Memo to PM: Don't take any notice of the Herald poll showing a majority of punters are against asset sales. The only poll that counts is the general election on November 26. You've got loads of political capital. Just spend it.
That's the kind of advice John Key may well be getting from his chief press secretary Kevin Taylor (aka Captain Panic Pants).
 
Poll to PM: Don’t sell our assets, 27 May, 2011
Voters do not like National's plans to sell shares in Air New Zealand and other state assets but they are not abandoning the party, a Herald-DigiPoll survey shows.
The party's popularity has not been dented despite a large majority of voters opposing one of its main policy planks for the election in six months - a partial sale of some state assets.

Meridian chief to leave after guiding firm through reforms, 31 March 2011
If he wasn't before, outgoing Meridian chief executive Tim Lusk has had to become a subscriber to the "what hurts you only makes you stronger" school of thought.
His company, seen as the most adversely affected by major electricity sector reforms, was now in a better position to cope with them, he said.
 
Many pluses to mixed ownership, 31 March 2011
Selling the "family silver" is a deeply unpopular idea for some New Zealanders... A PARTNERSHIP model between public and private interests works - but don't mention the 'P' word.
Selling the "family silver" is a deeply unpopular idea for some New Zealanders, but the Government's latest proposal to look at the ownership mix of its energy companies is a form of public private partnership (PPP) that is already working well here and abroad.
 
Westpac sees housing solution in PPPs, 23 March 2011
One of New Zealand's biggest banks wants to fund large-scale housing projects and its chief says public-private partnerships could help to solve Christchurch's woes and the leaky home disaster and house Auckland's rapidly expanding population.
David McLean, Auckland-based head of Westpac Institutional Bank, is today raising the issue of PPPs to create affordable housing in his address to the Community Housing Aotearoa conference in Auckland.
 
Govt wants private sector to help fund state housing, 26 March 2011
The Government wants public-private partnerships to fund thousands of new state and community houses after a visit to Sydney by Housing Minister Phil Heatley.
In an address to Community Housing Aotearoa conference this week, Heatley said no government had put enough into the housing sector and he wanted to change that.