20 Jul 2013

No promise from Dalziel on non-strategic assets

5:00 pm on 20 July 2013

Christchurch mayoral candidate Lianne Dalziel is refusing to promise to retain non-strategic council assets if she's elected in October.

On Friday the Christchurch East MP filed her nomination for the mayoralty at the council offices. So far nobody else has expressed a desire to stand against her.

The current council has rejected Government pleas to consider selling its stake in assets in order to help fund its 40% share of the city's earthquake repairs.

Asked if she would be willing to sign a pledge from the Keep Our Assets group not to sell any council assets, Ms Dalziel said she had not seen the pledge and was making no commitments.

"What I'm committing to," she said, " is that I will not be supporting the sale of strategic assets. Strategic assets are something that we need to have a discussion about, but I'm not going to make any commitment beyond that before the election."

Strategic council assets include Christchurch's airport, the port and the lines company Orion.