John Key’s decision to plough ahead with the SkyCity deal shows he is out of touch with the majority of New Zealanders, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
“Over 60 per cent of Kiwis are against National’s pokies for convention centre stitch-up. That’s no wonder; it’s been a dodgy backroom deal from the start.
“John Key has essentially written a blank cheque for SkyCity. It will get more pokies, more gaming tables, ticket in – ticket out systems, cashless gambling and the ability to increase playing limits.
“Kiwis don’t like that, but the Prime Minister refused to listen to them, like he refused to listen to the deputy Auditor General who found SkyCity had been favoured over other tenderers.
“A convention centre in Auckland would be good for New Zealand but this is the wrong way to do it. It should be done transparently and give all companies a fair go in the tendering process.
“In the next 35 years if any future government disagrees with the deal with SkyCity, and wants to change the terms, it will have to pay compensation.
“Meanwhile the convention centre will make millions of dollars off the backs of problem gamblers with New Zealanders picking up the social costs while SkyCity pockets massive profits.
“The deal undermines New Zealand’s reputation for honesty and transparency.
“John Key is once again acting as a broker for vested interests, rather than acting in New Zealand’s interests. It’s not how New Zealanders want their Prime Minister to behave, but sadly they are getting used to it with John Key,” David Shearer said.
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Now tell me – just how does a convention centre in Auckland benefit oh, say, Kaingaroa, or Featherston?
Has anyone actually tracked the money trickle from Auckland to the Rest of New Zealand? (It didn’t seem to work efficiently or effectively with the Rugby World Cup.)
Or is it just a pollies’ bragging point for which Aucklanders, who will never see the inside of it, will still be paying in dollars and inconvenience for years to come?
Sometimes, just sometimes, the Rest of NZ gets a teensie bit tetched with the volumes of money and effort poured into that Graveyard of the Dollars, Auckland, while the old Heartland is doing it hard.
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