12. Hon PAUL SWAIN (Labour—Rimutaka) Link to this
to the Minister of Commerce
Has she received any reports on the response to the announcement of the Capital Markets Development Taskforce; if so, what do they say?
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Commerce) Link to this
Yes, I have. From those who genuinely want to see progress on adding depth and breadth to our capital markets, there has been an enormously positive response, especially in respect of the quality of the members of the task force and the level of expertise they will bring to the table.
Has she seen any reports as to why a former Minister of Commerce did not initiate such a brilliant proposal; and what response has there been to the Minister’s statement that Labour’s opposition to any sale of State-owned enterprises would never change, regardless of what the task force recommended?
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL Link to this
I was actually very interested in the comment of the person who said Labour had shown its attitude to promoting investment in the capital markets by blocking the sale of Auckland airport this year, but then went on to say that he would not support the sale of State-owned assets, which seems somewhat contradictory. Of course, that is explained by the fact that both comments were made by the National Party’s finance spokesperson, Bill English.
Simon PowerHon LIANNE DALZIEL Link to this
The members of the task force have not been appointed to be representative. That was made very clear at the time, although I would highlight the fact that one of the members of the task force is the chief executive of our Superannuation Fund, which is a major investor in New Zealand.