CITIZENS AGAINST PRIVATISATION (CAP)
Media Release, 7/5/08

Rose Hollins, spokesperson, email: rose28 (at) woosh.co.nz

Meredydd Barrar, spokesperson, ph: 09 836-6389, email: capwaitakere (at) xtra.co.nz

PPP Procurement Group say they'll listen!

Below is the reply I wrote for Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP) to Andrew Bowman, Treasury/PPP Steering Group, on April 14, on his less than satisfactory partial formal acknowledgment of receipt of the CAP written (pro-forma) submission against privatisation of the proposed Waterview Connection Tunnel in West Auckland by means of a public private partnership and toll road (scroll to read his).

Our response was copied at the time to other known submitters of the CAP pro-forma submission, our CAP members list, unionists and selected councillors, media and others, in this city and country and overseas. Its receipt by this so-efficient group of big business road privatisers/neo-liberal Treasury boffins went not unexpectedly unacknowledged, let alone replied to.

This email of complaint from Citizens Against Privatisation is likely to have been the origin of pressure which has resulted today in notice of a change of persuasion by the PPP Procurement Steering Group, that it might be wise to offer (minimal) verbal submissions after all.

Andrew Bowman, Contract Analyst, The Treasury, emailed all submitters today, for the Waterview Connection Procurement Working Group, enclosing a letter from its Chair Brian Elwood, that says "some members of the steering group will be available" (how many out of three, plus the Chair, would that be?), to hear verbal submissions from 9am on Tuesday, May 20, at the Government Urban Economic Development Office, located on Level 6 of the Tower Centre, 45 Queen St, Auckland city. (Submitters on the North Shore should note that this date clashes with one of their two days allotted to hear submissions on restructuring of Auckland regional governance.)

While this breakthrough in potential communication is very welcome to Citizens Against Privatisation and no doubt many others, we must note how far short this consultation offer falls, from the demands I made on behalf of our West Auckland community group in the very letter (copied below) that may have caused it to happen.

Because hereby, all submitters are being accorded only an invitation to a single location; in the central area of this city only (of the seven immediately affected); in this region of the country only; only at a time during ordinary working hours for the majority of ordinary people who are after all targeted by this Steering Group to entirely pay for this profitable plan and for all its extremely costly downroad impacts on the everyday survival of generations of us; for 35 years at least - but without mention even of recompense for lost work time in performance of this civic duty; let alone of travel/accommodation reimbursement for submitters from other regions especially; which I had stressed were the very least we could expect, given the gross imbalance of power, beneficial/travel payments and prestige, job security etc, between us ordinary people and the Steering Group decision-making members.

So I would urge all submitters not to let up in demanding proper assistance, for once, from the state in this process that should be available as of right, whether by addition of more convenient locations and times in this region or elsewhere, to take part in consultation that amounts to the paltry sum of the state's legal obligations to us for such projects, or by full subsidisation of time, wages, travel, accommodation, as Steering Group members themselves take for granted.

Notwithstanding such serious shortcomings in it so far, I think all ordinary people can take some heart from this, and that Citizens Against Privatisation can justifiably chalk up this announcement by the Waterview Connection Tunnel PPP Procurement Steering Group/Treasury, as a highly unexpected small election-year vixtory for all of us - for what it may turn out to be worth.

CAP would be interested to hear, by the way, from any other submitters also to the Transit NZ part of the Waterview Connection consultation process, who have received either acknowledgment of their submissions made about a month ago, or notification of verbal submissions, because we have had neither. Such endemic lack of efficiency among road tollers, while unsurprising, bodes as badly for our future as at present.

Rose Hollins
for Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP)

Rose Hollins <rose28 (at) woosh.co.nz>
and
Meredydd Barrar: Citizens Against Privatisation <capwaitakere (at) xtra.co.nz>
Ph 09 836-6389

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Citizens Against Privatisation letter of complaint to PPP Steering Group

From: Rose Hollins <rose28 (at) woosh.co.nz>
Date: 14 April 2008
To: Andrew Bowman <Andrew.Bowman (at) treasury.govt.nz>
Cc: Citizens Against Privatisation <capwaitakere (at) xtra.co.nz>
Subject: Re: Waterview Connection Procurement Submission

Thank you Andrew

For your message below on behalf of the Waterview Connection PPP possible Procurement Steering Group.

First, however, please note that the submission I made, made it absolutely clear that it was not an individual submission on behalf of myself, but a submission made by me on behalf of the community group I am a spokesperson for, Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP).

I see no hint of recognition of this fact in this acknowledgment below, so I would ask that you please correct your records, if necessary, in proper acknowledgment of our organisation and its submission, made by me.

Second, thank you for proposing to take our (ie your, plural) submission into account as the Steering Group prepares its report to the Ministers of Finance and Transport.

However we are aware that the Steering Group has held private audiences in person with many of what you call Stakeholders, from Councillors to businesses and business organisations - and very probably also with self-interested individual businesspeople, here or elsewhere in the world, who may also have a market appetite of measurable proportions, as we recognise business organisations associated with Steering Group members do themselves.

I therefore draw your attention to the expectation expressed in the Citizens Against Privatisation submission, and at very least in those of others who are also sending you that same pro forma submission, that I/we wish to make verbal - oral - submissions to the Steering Group - in Auckland, for those of us living here.

I'm afraid given the considerable kanohi ki kanohi consultation being conducted by your group on this matter so vital to the future wellbeing, first, of a third of the population of this country in the Auckland region; second, given its 'model PPP' status/road tolls precedent, vital also to the future wellbeing of the other two-thirds of the entire population - that I/we will not accept being fobbed off by a "take into account" dismissal of the importance of what we have to say.

I repeat that we expect ourselves and all other submitters who want to, to be invited to make verbal submissions, in person, face to face with the Steering Group.

Please believe me, this insistence does not imply naive expectations on our part that I/we will necessarily be actually listened to by the Steering Group, but rather that it is the very least we can expect according to all the laws of the land.

Not to mention according to the right to democratically equal status in trying to influence decision making, for us ordinary people who would pay, with those in line to profit from us, via these processes you call consultation. (Yes I'm aware this is getting a little far-fetched now.)

But we would always welcome the outside chance of being astounded that the thinking of ordinary people might be given its due weight, by a Steering Group such as yours - so resulting in this case in permanent cancellation of your reason for being.

As far as the matter of making oral submissions in Auckland is concerned, we note that two of the Steering Group members, Stephen Selwood of the NZ Council for Infrastructure Development, and Michael Barnett of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, appear to be based in Auckland, and that Phil O'Reilly of Business NZ appears to live in Wellington, with chair Sir Brian Elwood perhaps halfway between in Palmerston North.

Despite the way overseas travel in the line of duty must eat into the average eight hours a week these gentlemen are contracted for up till June 30, two out of three already resident here in Auckland ain't bad.

We strongly suggest, given the importance and multi-generational longevity of road privatisation and road tolls proposed to be imposed on our communities, that the Steering Group not only meets all submitters in this city who wish to speak to them - and outside our ordinary working hours, for once in a blue moon; as big employers yourselves you should consider nothing less - but also at the very least also in Wellington and Christchurch, if required, and in whatever other centres as necessary.

The only acceptable alternative to some form of this, being full subsidisation of submitters' travel and accommodation costs, and also jury-style wages/salary replacement if submitters were required to sacrifice work time to perform this community service.

Please bear in mind that without our consent of any kind - the reverse in fact, as all previous consultations have made abundantly clear - our taxes/road taxes/local body taxes ie rates/rents/user charges are being plundered to subsidise the employment, travel, accommodation, propaganda, meetings, consultation etc of your Steering Group and its Working Group, and all the extra deliberations on your kaupapa by all the Councils in this region and very probably in other regions as well.

If you can travel the world, as you are, to gather the evidence/market hunger needed to rip us off something shocking for at least 35 years, you can make the time and the genuine opportunity available to hear the people you intend to do it to.

On behalf of Citizens Against Privatisation, I look forward to your reply and your offer of appropriate time(s) and place(s), for us and all others to consider.

Yours sincerely

Rose Hollins
for Citizens Against Privatisation (CAP)

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Waterview Connection PPP Procurement Steering Group formal acknowledgment of submission

On 14/04/2008, at 10:24 AM, Andrew Bowman wrote:
Dear Ms Hollins

On behalf of the Waterview Connection Procurement Steering Group, I thank you for your submission concerning the possible procurement of the Waterview Connection through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

The Steering Group will take your submission into account as it prepares its report to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Bowman
for Waterview Connection Procurement Working Group

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Andrew Bowman | Contract Analyst | The Treasury
Phone +64 4 917 6148 | andrew.bowman (at) treasury.govt.nz