The Alliance Party has condemned the National-led
Government’s moves toward the partial privatization of
Kiwibank, calling the plan a brazen sell-off of public
wealth for private profit.
Former Alliance Cabinet
Minister and 2026 Alliance Party political adviser Hon. Matt
Robson was one of four Alliance ministers who originally
secured the creation of the bank during the fifth
Labour-Alliance coalition Government.
Matt Robson says
Kiwibank was established to serve the public good, not
financial speculators.
“Kiwibank was established
under the leadership of the late Jim Anderton to give New
Zealanders a permanent asset to underpin long-term
investment for the public good, and provide a genuine
Kiwi-owned alternative to the Australian-owned banking
cartel.”
“Now National is preparing to hand
Kiwibank over to private investors for private profit. This
is nothing more than old-fashioned plunder of the public
silver – there is nothing new under the sun,” says Matt
Robson.
The Alliance Party confirmed that defending
Kiwibank and halting all privatization will be a central
pillar of its 2026 election campaign.
Under its Public
Ownership and Economic Democracy platform, the Alliance
opposes any dilution of Crown ownership and instead
advocates for expanding public banking
capability.
Matt Robson also challenged the Labour
Party to take a firm stand.
“Labour previously
campaigned on the great success of a publicly owned
Kiwibank. They must now state unequivocally where they stand
and join us in opposing any planned sale or dilution of this
vital state asset.”
Note – About Hon. Matt
Robson
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The Hon. Matt Robson is a former MP for the
Alliance and Progressive parties, and was a Cabinet minister
in the 1999–2002 Labour–Alliance coalition government.
Matt is co-producer of the 2026 documentary Last Man
Standing, on the life and times of Jim Anderton,
screening in New Zealand cinemas. Matt works as an
immigration lawyer in Auckland and is actively supporting
the relaunched Alliance
Party.
