[Fwd: TRANSALTA OF CANADA WINNER OF ROGER AWARD FOR THE WORST TRANSNATIONALCORPORATION IN NZ IN 1999]

[Bill Rosenberg <w.rosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If anyone would like a copy of the full judges report, let me know.

Bill Rosenberg


CAFCA									18 February 2000

TRANSALTA OF CANADA WINNER OF ROGER AWARD FOR THE WORST TRANSNATIONAL
CORPORATION IN NZ IN 1999

	TRANZ RAIL & MONSANTO GET DISHONOURABLE MENTION

Canadian power company, TransAlta, which owns energy retailers in Auckland,
Wellington and Christchurch, has the dubious honour of being the winner of
the Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation in New Zealand in
1999. The annual Award was announced in Christchurch today. The Award is
named after Sir Roger Douglas, notorious Minister of Finance in NZ's 1984-90
Labour government; the man who gave the world Rogernomics.

The judges were: Maxine Gay, president of the Trade Union Federation,
Wellington; Moana Jackson, Maori Legal Service, Wellington; and Professor
Jane Kelsey, Auckland. To quote from their report: ?TransAlta?s brief foray
into New Zealand is a warning to the world of what can happen when basic
infrastructural services such as electricity are privatised and deregulated?
. Having made its money, TransAlta has  this year agreed to sell its NZ
assets to an Australian company for a tax-free capital gain of almost $NZ300
million. ?During its seven years here, TransAlta:

* Raised prices for domestic consumers and for small and medium businesses,
while cutting prices for big businesses.
* Sacked workers to an extent which is causing those left to fear for their
safety.
* Was a partner in building two gas-fired power stations which produced
about half of the total increase in NZ carbon dioxide emissions from
1990-98.
* Blatantly attempted to blackmail the NZ Government into abandoning a
proposal to force energy companies to split their lines and retailing
businesses by threatening to leave the country if the change went through.
* Campaigned to wind up the Hutt-Mana Energy Trust (Wellington) which was
elected democratically in local body elections, because its minority stake
in TransAlta NZ was an obstacle to the Canadians? plans to sell out at an
even greater profit?.

The criteria for judging were by assessing the transnational that has the
most negative impact in New Zealand in each or all of the following fields:
unemployment, monopoly, profiteering, abuse of workers/conditions, political
interference, environmental damage, cultural imperialism, impact on tangata
whenua (ie Maori), running an ideological crusade, impact on women, health
and safety
of workers and the public. TransAlta ?contravened acceptable standard across
virtually all the criteria?.

American-owned Tranz Rail (1997 winner; 1998 Continuity Award) was given
another Continuity Award ?because its persistent failure to maintain the
safety of its rolling stock has continued to put its customers and workers
at risk of crippling injury and death?. Monsanto (1998 winner) was put on
the Roger Watchlist because it ?is trying to make New Zealand a site in the
international development of genetic engineering?.


The other finalists were: News Ltd, which owns the INL media chain;
WestpacTrust (bank); Telecom and Waste Management. Full copies of the judges
? report are available upon request.

Murray Horton
for the organisers

Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa* (Aotearoa - indigenous Maori
name for New Zealand)
GATT Watchdog
Corso



CAFCA
Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa
PO Box 2258, Christchurch
email: cafca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx