Key criticised over shares in uranium mining company

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 4:45p.m.
By Adam Hollingworth

The Prime Minister is divesting his shares in a company which mines for uranium.

The Australian gold mining company in which Mr Key has held shares has merged with a uranium mining company, but he claims he didn't know.

The National Party has held a nuclear-free stance for more than two decades and the opposition says Mr Key should have made it his business to know what he'd invested in.

He realised he has thrown his money at what's turned out to be a big nuclear no-no.

Last January Mr Key declared investments in Jackson Mining - an Australian gold mining company - but since then it's merged with Scimitar Resources which mines for uranium to form cauldron energy.

“Apparently they've done a merger with another company, on that basis I’ll just look to dispose of those shares - I’m not wedded to them,” says Mr Key.

While Mr Key seemed to be having a bad day with money, his opponents say he's sold out New Zealand’s green credentials.

Green MP Russel Norman says the shares are not a good look.

“New Zealand goes to the world and says that it's nuclear free, we can't really have our Prime Minister investing in a uranium mining company,” he says.

But the opposition will continue to attack his long-term interest in mining at a time when mining the national parks is such a serious consideration

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