Kiwis lose $871 million from power company privatisations

New analysis of the financial statements of Genesis, Mighty River Power, and Meridian released by the Green Party today shows that National’s partial privatisation of power companies has cost New Zealand taxpayers $871 million, the Green Party said.

“The latest data shows that National’s sale of 49 percent of shares in the power companies was a massive transfer of wealth from the people of New Zealand to a few select investors, many who live overseas,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said.

“If the Crown still owned 100 percent of these companies, taxpayers could collectively have earned another $381 million this year alone and a whopping $775 million since the selloff.

“Add to that the $96 million of costs associated with the sale process, including bonus shares to sweeten the deal for private investors, and the New Zealand taxpayer is $871 million worse off because of National’s failed privatisation plan.

“Consumers are hurting because power prices are up 3.8 percent – meanwhile power companies are paying out massive salaries to their CEOs and directors.

“The CEOs of the three partially privatised power companies now all earn over a million dollars each, and Meridian’s CEO gets close to $2 million when extra perks are included.

“Rising salaries for power company CEOs are cold comfort for Kiwi households facing higher power bills,” said Mr Hughes.

Mighty River Power’s announcement today of a special shareholder dividend means it will pay out almost $300 million for the year, and caps off a string of recent profit announcements from the partially privatised power companies. Contact and Meridian are also paying special dividends, while Genesis’ profit doubled from the previous year.

The Green Party has released new analysis, undertaken by the Parliamentary Library, of the financial statements of the recently partially privatised power companies Genesis, Mighty River Power, and Meridian.

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Energy and Resources Announcements

Story

Greens launch petition to save oil and gas ban

The Green Party has launched a petition to save the ban on oil and gas exploration.

Greens would push Labour much further on solar power

Labour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean ...

Bills lower, climate happier under Green Party plan

Labour’s announcement of an energy rebate is a step in the right direction, but the Greens’ Clean Power Payment would do much more for households.

Government must stop all new oil and gas exploration

The Green Party are welcoming a pause on all remaining oil and gas exploration, and call on the Government to stop it all together.

Crown mineral change does not go far enough

Long overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensi...

Fix electricity market to help both climate and cost of living

The four big electricity companies should be required to reinvest massive profits into cutting both household bills and climate pollution, the Gree...