Bob Edlin: How to help the budget deficit by trimming ministerial salaries....

How to help the budget deficit by trimming ministerial salaries – when Potaka docks DoC, then let’s lop his lolly

The PoO team has come up with a scheme – dare we describe it as a fiendish scheme? – for addressing its budgetary concerns.

We propose lopping the salary paid to the Minister of Conservation according to the amount of DoC land that is sold on his watch.

Bob Edlin: The call for a mature conversation about asset sales....

The call for a mature conversation about asset sales – Luxon is up for it, but what about Hipkins?

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has expended some of his huff and puff today to rail against Christopher Luxon for wanting to discuss something that should be discussed.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Expect this asset sales debate to get heated

Well, entirely predictably, the debate about selling state assets has already kicked off ahead of election year - with Winston calling the idea a 'tawdry, silly argument'.

And Chris Luxon then shooting back that Winston's view is not surprising, because he's been there for 50 years, for goodness' sake, he's got a lot of entrenched views.

John MacDonald: What should the Crown do with its Christchurch airport shares?

After all his talk about asset sales, David Seymour has obviously been scratching his head like the rest of us, wondering what we’ve actually got left to sell. And he’s got Christchurch Airport in his sights.

The Government —or the Crown— owns a 25% stake in the airport (which is the second largest in the country) and the ACT Party leader is saying today that he doesn’t think it should. And I agree.

Kerre Woodham: What have we got left to sell?

You may have heard, the 80’s are making a comeback. Lookout for denim on denim, bubble skirts, and asset sales. David Seymour is stepping up his campaign to sell state assets and privatise public services.

Professor Richard Shaw: David Seymour says Kiwis are too squeamish about privatisation.....

David Seymour says Kiwis are too squeamish about privatisation – history shows why they lost the appetite

State asset sales have been a political dividing line in New Zealand for decades now, and it seems voters are again being asked to decide which side they’re on.

In his state-of-the-nation speech last week, ACT Party leader David Seymour advised New Zealanders to “get past their squeamishness about privatisation” and ask themselves:

Heather du Plessis Allan: We can't rule out asset sales

I think we’re about to find out whether this Government has got the cahones to make the tough calls that need to be made on one thing in particular: Asset sales.

If you've been reading political commentary lately, including in the weekend papers, there's been a lot of talk of the need for asset sales. Why?

Because as we said earlier, we have a structural deficit. Which is a very bad thing because it means we are, thanks to Grant Robertson, now spending more than we earn - on the regular.

Treasury's advice for how to fix it? Asset sales.

David Farrar: The case for further asset sales

Mark Lister writes:

During 2013 and 2014, john key's National-led Government sold just under half of Mighty River Power (now known as Mercury NZ), Meridian energy and Genesis Energy and listed them on the nzx.

A few years after that, I recall asking the chief executive from one of those companies about the biggest change he'd noticed since the sharemarket float.

Brian Gaynor: Miner’s end leaves taxpayers in a hole

The sale of Solid Energy’s remaining operating coalmines terminates the Crown’s 114-year involvement in the coal industry.

The sale has been greeted positively by the company, with its press release noting that participating creditors “should see a return of approximately 60 cents in the dollar compared to the estimated 20 cents that creditors would have received if the company had gone into liquidation in September 2015”.

This is an incredibly positive spin on the woeful performance of the company over the past five years. Its disclosure has also been inadequate; taxpayers are entitled to far more information on the company’s asset sale process, particularly the price it received for its mines.

Michael Coote: Will tribal risks be fully disclosed in Mighty River Power sale?

The Mighty River Power (MRP) share float is being rushed through by a National minority government anxious to score a public relations victory. For prime minister John Key, the float is his chief hope of leaving behind a political legacy to be remembered after he has claimed his exiting knighthood. 

There will be tension between Mr Key, who would want to get the shares away come what may to help him win his gong, and finance minister Bill English, who should seek the highest possible price to pad out the government’s ailing books.

Mike Butler: Water claim still going strong

A crucial Supreme Court victory for the government over the New Zealand Maori Council that cleared the final hurdle for its part-privatisation policy does not mean the end of Maori claims for water. It just meant the end of the Maori Council's case that the sale of shares in Mighty River was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi because it would affect the Government's ability to make redress for Maori rights and interests in water.

Prof Martin Devlin: Business and the Partial Asset Sales

Business commentators are now starting to reflect upon the business consequences of the government’s decision to delay the first of the partial assets sales until the second quarter of 2013. Rod Oram, writing in the Star-Times of 9^th September comments on the related issues of a glut of electricity generation, a downturn in domestic and industrial power consumption, the possibility of problems with electricity usage at the Tiwai Point smelter, and the downturn in coal imports by China as issues which will have an impact of the value of Mighty River Power (MRP) shares at float. From any prudent investor’s point of view each and all of these issues represent risks which need to be taken into account when deciding whether or not to invest.

But, he could also have included some assessment of the impact of the MRP delay and the options presented to the government by the Waitangi Tribunal, which, if taken seriously, constitute an additional raft of investment risks which possibly exceed those which Oram considers.

Michael Coote: Treaty of Waitangi cargo cult

Like his predecessor in office Helen Clark, prime minister John Key is hoist with his own petard by sweeping Maori tribal claims to Crown assets. Ms Clark, it will be remembered, tried to face down Maori tribal claims to ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Her Labour-led  government passed the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 in order to reassert Crown ownership of our territorial waters and all below out to the twelve nautical mile limit. Her government’s legislation was its response to a Court of Appeal ruling of June 2003.

This ruling held that the Maori Land Court had jurisdiction to decide on Maori customary land title to the foreshore and seabed of the Marlborough Sounds, extending to the limits of New Zealand's territorial sea, under the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993.

Gerry Eckhoff: The "H" word

The “H” word is not allowed to be used in (parliamentary) debate nor does it seem by the mainstream media when the great asset sale debate is engaged.

I have a few questions for those opposed to asset sales. Would any of you folk be able to confirm that Ngai Tahu have recently sold a large forestry block (18,251 hectares) to a Swiss company. This sale represents the largest area of NZ land sold to “foreign devils” in recent times. Now I understand Maoridom strongly opposes the Government selling off assets. So how does that work? 

Mike Butler: Maori MPs breach treaty principle

Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples say they are unhappy a treaty clause may not be applied to asset sales that are up for partial sale. They are threatening to withdraw Maori Party support for the National Party led government.

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira claims that the Treaty of Waitangi could halt the sales process. He said that "Section 9 of the State Owned Enterprises Act says that the Crown must not act in a manner inconsistent with the treaty. And to sell off assets that Maori still have claim over is inconsistent with the Treaty."

Section 9 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986 actually says: “Nothing in this Act shall permit the Crown to act in a manner that was inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.” So it’s not the treaty Harawira should be talking about, it’s the principles of the treaty. And this is how the president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Robin Cooke, elucidated those principles:

Owen McShane: Why We Must Learn to Love Asset Sales ... part one

There is a general consensus that New Zealand must develop more innovative and internationally oriented businesses. Innovation is a prime driver of economic development and can also support higher wages. Yet the election campaign has further locked in place a set of beliefs that deprive innovative companies of the capital they need to fund their forays into international markets.

The campaign promoted wide-ranging capital gains taxes and promoted “No Asset Sales.” Capital gains taxes can be a serious disincentive for venture capital investors because they can make it more difficult to achieve the targeted rates of return required by investors. We should avoid imposing fines for success.