Reason #48 to change the Government

Catchup time!

Air New Zealand

Singapore Air wanted to buy Air NZ. They are partners in Star Alliance so it made sense. And Air NZ had lost a lost of money on Ansett and needed the capital injection.

The Government spent months and months dithering about what to do. The Board warned and warned that they were risking the airline, yet the Government still did nothing, with much of the opposition being against increasing foreign ownership.

So what happens – the airline all but collapses. The taxpayer bails them out by a billion dollars. And then what does the Government do? It tries to flog it off to Qantas!!!!

Yes they try to sell it to the one airline which would destroy competition, as they are Air NZ’s biggest competitor. If you had to draw up a list of airlines one should never sell Air NZ to, then Qantas would be on the top.

If they had just allowed Singapore Air to increase its investment, then the taxpayer would not have to have done a billion dollar bailout.