Prime Minister castigates Jones over Air NZ broadside
Derek Cheng
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has pulled Shane Jones into line for going too far by calling for the Air New Zealand chairman Tony Carter to step down — but the NZ First MP says he will not be muzzled.
“Calling for the sacking of any board member is a step too far and I have told Shane Jones that,” Ardern said.
Jones, who is Minister for Regional Economic Development, has been under pressure for his fiery words to Air NZ for cutting its flights to Kapiti and Kaitaia. Earlier yesterday he called for heads to roll on the board — including chairman Carter’s.
Opposition leader Simon Bridges kept the pressure on Jones, condemning him for planning to enjoy Air NZ corporate hospitality at the airline-sponsored Barack Obama dinner this evening in Auckland.
“Here’s Shane Jones, who supposedly hates Air NZ, hates their board, but he’s prepared to take their corporate hospitality and go to the Obama event on them,” Bridges said.
Ardern said it was “entirely a de- cision for Shane”, adding that she was not going to fire him.
“This is not a sacking offence. He’s expressed an opinion, one that I know some New Zealanders will certainly share some sympathy for ... but suggesting someone should be sacked is too far.”
Jones said he would not be muzzled by Air New Zealand.
“If anyone on that board believes they are going to muzzle me as a champion for the provinces, then they are sadly mistaken.”
Jones denied he was bullying the board, suggesting that their directors’ fees should be enough of a buffer.
“Check the salaries or the directors’ fees of the board and if one politician using some florid rhetoric, they conceive that to be bullying, then really.”
Jones started yesterday by keeping up his attack on Air NZ and set his sights on Carter.
“Obviously you’d start with the chairman . . . I’m telling that board, in For a video go to nzherald.co.nz terms of the growth and connectivity in provincial New Zealand, it will not increase unless that board changes,” Jones told Radio NZ.
Jones also warned Air NZ chief executive Christopher Luxon not to “poke your nose into the political boxing ring, unless you’re going to resign today and join the ranks of the National Party”.
A few hours later he said his morning remarks had gone through a “process of refinement”.
“Both Grant [Robertson] and the Prime Minister have said ‘Shane, you have a strong view as a regional provincial champion, but you have no authority to effect changes at the level of the board’. And I accept that.”
Bridges said Jones should not be accepting corporate hospitality from Air NZ to attend the Obama event, if he was so opposed to their actions.
National itself had raised concerns about regional services with Air NZ, “but it’s how you deal with them and what you’ve got here is bullying, personal attacks, the calling for resignations of the board, the chair and the chief executive”.
Bridges said it would worry the wider business community.
Robertson said he disagreed with Jones and the board and chief executive were doing a good job.
The Government would consider the board’s composition through the normal processes, but Robertson added that the Government was committed to improving regional connectivity through infrastructure such as road and rail.
The Government owns 51 per cent of the company and has a say in the composition of the board.
Air NZ will elect new board members in September.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said it was entirely appropriate for Jones to attend the Obama dinner.
“He was invited, and I can’t go because of having to be here, so I’m pleased he is going.”
He said it was the Prime Minister’s prerogative to reprimand ministers but refused to back that up himself.
Luxon returned fire at Jones, saying the airline put on almost two million more domestic seats and cut regional airfares 8 per cent over the last three or four years.
“We’ve got one of the best regional networks of any country.”
Luxon said the Crown had the same rights as any other shareholder.
“That doesn’t mean they can dictate the operations of the company.”
Grant Bradley comment B3