Privatising public services like health that we all rely on will move the focus from delivering for people in need to cutting costs to boost profits of companies.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi strongly opposes increased delivery by private providers of public services like health and education, and asset sales as mooted today by ACT leader David Seymour.
Acting PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the ACT proposals would take money from public services and funnel it towards private providers. This defunding of public services would see the interests of private companies and a limited number of shareholders prioritised over the common good in the provision of vital services.
"Privatisation will inevitably mean syphoning money off from providing services for all to pay profits to private corporations, says Fitzsimons.
"This will result in only those who can pay being able to access adequate health care and other vital services.
"Just look at the health system in the USA where the private sector dominates and sick people without health insurance are left at hospital doors. We don’t want that here.
"Assets sales have been tried and failed in New Zealand. The only winners are private companies.
"Public services and assets belong to all of us and are there to deliver for people not shareholders.
"Privatisation will also mean that the workers who deliver quality public, health and community services will see their livelihoods threatened by redundancies and reduced pay and conditions," Fitzsimons says.
"The coalition Government’s savage attacks on, and funding cuts to public, health and community services, are clearly aimed at destroying trust in these services as a step towards privatisation.
"The PSA calls on Prime Minister Luxon rule out privatising public services now and in the future," Fitzsimons says.
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