Posted on 24-1-2003

Roger Awards 2002 Go To Vote


The US and its allies (including little old New Zealand) are currently
reverting to a very old form of "globalisation", namely that enforced at
the point of a gun. Starting with Afghanistan, and in preparations for
Iraq, it is aiming to reshape the world into something more amenable to
its wishes, and more profitable for its biggest of Big Businesses.
Globalisation simply means the increasing domination of the global
economy by transnational corporations (TNCs), whether achieved at
gunpoint or bloodlessly. Nowhere is this more true than in New Zealand,
where they exercise an even greater influence in the economy, despite our
having a "Centre-Left" government. Little or nothing has been done to
change the policies of the past 18 years.


The two Christchurch-based groups(CAFCA and GATT Watchdog) which organise
the annual Roger Award say that TNCs are the real "government" of New
Zealand; we asked the public to nominate the worst of 2002, and now the
finalists are off to the judges.


The six finalists are: <bold>Tranz Rail</bold>; <bold>Novartis</bold>;
<bold>Carter Holt Harvey; Shell; Telecom and Sky City.

</bold>

The criteria for judging are 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/running an ideological
crusade, environmental damage, cultural imperialism, impact on tangata
whenua, impact on women, health and safety of workers and the public.


The judges are<bold>: Sukhi Turner, </bold>Mayor of Dunedin<bold>; Dr
Ranginui Walker, </bold>Emeritus Professor at Auckland University,
<bold>Prue Hyman</bold>, academic and feminist, of Victoria University;
and <bold>John Minto</bold>, National Chairperson of QPEC (Quality Public
Education Coalition) and community activist<bold>. The winner(s) will be
announced in Auckland, in April.

</bold>

>From politicians of all stripes, "experts" and the media (itself owned by
a handful of transnational corporations) the public is constantly
bombarded with the corporate agenda. Namely, that what is Good For Big
Business is Good For New Zealand. We say that it ain’t necessarily so.
The Roger Award holds an unflattering mirror up to the ugly side of Big
Business and exposes the lie that unfettered corporate power is the best
- and only - way. The Roger Award is part of our challenge to the
"Centre-Left" Government - are you going to do anything to control and
roll back the power of our real, unelected government, the transnational
corporations?


Leigh Cookson, Roger Award Committee