The pledge’s signatories are predominantly left-leaning incumbent Christchurch city councillors and candidates, while their centrist and right-leaning counterparts have steered clear of the commitment.
Whether to maintain the city council’s stake in strategic assets – most notably Lyttelton Port Company, Christchurch Airport and electricity distribution company Orion – has once again been a key election issue.
The assets are managed by Christchurch City Holdings Ltd on behalf of the city council.
On one side of the debate, those open to selling shares believe it could improve the asset’s performance and proceeds from a sale could be used to pay down the city council’s debt.
Those opposed to asset sales fear the loss of public control over critical infrastructure, a reduced dividend to the city council, and private shareholders prioritising their own interests.
New Zealanders For a Democratic Economy (NZDE) and Keep Our Assets Canterbury, two associated left-wing pressure groups, organised the pledge.
“We need to break this cycle of having this same old argument every three years.”
“KOA calls upon the CCC to not only retain our current public assets, but to develop them, future proof them and indeed, acquire new ones,” said Keep Our Assets convener Murray Horton.
Incumbent Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told voters at recent mayoral forums he wants the city council to own the entire airport.
It was important for the council to own it all in the event of a natural disaster, he has said. The council owns 75%, with the remaining 25% owned by the Government.
Horton told Stuff the mayor raised this policy platform at a meeting in January.
However, Horton also told Stuff Mauger said at the time that he wanted to on-sell that stake to Ngāi Tahu Tourism.
A Christchurch City Holdings Ltd spokesperson told Stuff there were no active conversations with central Government about buying its shares.
It comes as a Talbot Mills poll of Christchurch residents, commissioned by NZDE, showed 73% want to ‘keep our assets,’ 15% want to sell and 12% were unsure.
Mayoral candidate Sara Templeton has signed the pledge, while Mauger has not.
Mauger has stated his opposition to selling any shares in Lyttelton Port Company and Orion.
He has said the sale of the city council’s other three strategic assets – Enable, CityCare and EcoCentral – would be up to Christchurch City Holdings to present a business case to city councillors.
Templeton is opposed to any sale of the six strategic assets.
All The People’s Choice incumbents and candidates have signed the pledge, alongside some independents.
