By Duncan Garner
A 3 News Reid Research poll has delivered a brutal blow to the Government's plans to potentially sell state assets if it gets another term in office.
Voters are overwhelmingly demanding Prime Minister John Key keep Kiwibank in Kiwi hands.
Kiwibank has hundreds of thousands of customers, makes a profit and is proudly Kiwi. Finance Minister Bill English mused that it could be sold, forcing Mr Key into saying it won't.
"Kiwibank is going to remain in New Zealand ownership under my leadership," said Mr Key.
It's clear Kiwis don't want it to go on the block.
3 News asked, should the Government sell Kiwibank or partially privatise it?
An overwhelming 85 percent said no. Just 9 percent said yes, and 6 percent didn't know.
We put the results to Mr Key before he left for South Africa - he accepts New Zealanders are against it.
Mr Key has repeatedly said he won't sell Kiwibank in recent weeks, but voters aren't sure if they believe him.
We asked, do you believe if National wins a second term it will try and sell Kiwibank? More than half - 53.5 percent - said yes it will, just 29.5 percent said no, it won't.
Labour leader Phil Goff says voters clearly think Mr Key might change his mind.
"He broke his promise on GST," says Mr Goff. "Will Kiwis really believe he won't break his promise on Kiwibank?"
National says it might sell other state assets next term and if it does, it will campaign on it. But 80 percent of voters say don't sell other assets either; just 12 percent think privatising state assets is a good idea.
Mr Key still says National wants to have the debate.
"I think we owe it to ourselves to go through the policy and see what the positives are and what the negatives are. We then have to weigh it up."
The results are overwhelming clear - voters don't want their assets sold.
Mr Key is still suggesting National will still look at partial privatisations - but these numbers are a huge blow, and National is likely to just quietly back away from this debate in the months ahead.
3 News