From a Parallel Universe-Number 5:The Vector lines sale

The Dominion Post letters page continues to be an entertainment all it’s own.

Today, included this gem:-

Energy and airports

In a burst of protective passion, the Government denied the sale of Auckland airport to a Canadian pension fund because the airport was considered to be too important for New Zealand to pass into foreign hands (albeit a minority share).

Barely a breath later, the sale of Vector Energy to a Chinese billionaire proceeds without a murmur. Is energy less important to us than air travel? It appears so.

We are staunch in our refusal to be taken over or influenced by Australia or the United States; we threw out Britain to become a dominion; we stood up to the French when they bombed the Pacific and a Greenpeace ship; we puff up against the Japanese to oppose whaling.

Yet the Government now allows our energy to be controlled by a representative of the biggest nation in the world.

I do not and never have owned shares in any company.
FLORENCE McFARLANE
Muritai

Leaving aside the somewhat dubious statements about the US and Australia having no influence, the fact that Britain granted Dominion status – NZ did not throw Britain out, we still have the Queen for example, the fact that our so-called standing up to the French did not stop them from doing anything they wanted to do and our lack of effective clout to stop the Japanese from whaling – Adam relished this sentence:-

Yet the Government now allows our energy to be controlled by a representative of the biggest nation in the world.

Cheung Kong Infrastructure is a publicly listed company incorporated in Hong Kong, with a global presence. It is not a representative of China.

It has purchased the lines network in Wellington.

Our energy is generated in the case of electricity by 4 companies, 3 of which are government owned and the 4th is controlled by Australians (who of course have no influence in NZ, despite owning most of the banks and many of the insurance companies.)

Gas is another form of energy that is not part of the deal.

Oil, another form of energy, is controlled by American and British companies

So Cheung Kung does not in anyway shape or form control our energy, it potentially owns the electricity delivery network for the Wellington region.

This network and the company owning it in New Zealand is subject to oversight by the NZ authorities. It is up to them to monitor the performance of the network owners and regulate if necessary.

Many NZ businesses are owned by American companies, does that mean using Ms McFarlane’s approach:-

Yet the Government now allows our computer industry to be controlled by representatives of the sole global superpower

What piffle and tosh these people write.

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the writer of the letter is anti Chinese, or perhaps one of those who believes that all property is theft, or both.

Alternatively, Ms McFarlane is visiting us from a parallel universe.