The PSA firmly rejects any return to selling state assets following today's comments from the Prime Minister.
Christopher Luxon said National may seek a mandate for asset sales at the next election. That comes days after ACT Leader David Seymour floated the prospect of privatisation of public health and other public services.
"Not content with stripping the guts out of the public service, now we have a Prime Minister floating selling state assets - it's a return to the failed policies of the past," said Fleur Fitzsimons, Acting National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
"If the Government thinks selling state assets will drive economic growth, then the public should be worried.
"Have we not learnt from the past? Our history is littered with failed privatisations which required expensive bail outs and buy backs by taxpayers - remember the failures of Kiwi Rail, Air New Zealand and the Bank of New Zealand.
"The PSA doubts the public's mood for asset sales has shifted since the 2013 citizens initiated referendum where two thirds of voters rejected asset sales.
"Asset sales are just a short-term sugar hit, and the public will be worse off. This is not simply a 'recycling of assets' as the PM puts it, but a loss of ownership and control. It's wrong.
"Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past and keep the state's silver in public hands. The PSA will be making its opposition to any return to the failed asset sales agenda of the past loud and clear."
