Greens still want asset sales referendum

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Greens still want asset sales referendum

3News NZ

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman on Firstline this morning

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman on Firstline this morning

The Government's expected to announce next week whether it'll plough on with the partial sale of assets, regardless of the Waitangi Tribunal recommendations to halt the sales until Maori water rights can be resolved.

But there could be another hurdle not too far down the track - a citizen's initiated referendum.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman spoke to Firstline about a drive to get enough signatures to prompt the referendum.

“We’ve got about a quarter of a million we need about 350,000 so we’re aiming to get the last 100,000 through the month of September.”

He is not phased by the fact the Government says a referendum would not be binding and may not affect Government plans.

“It’s part of giving the people of New Zealand an opportunity to express their opinion on the sale of these assets. What we’ve seen time and again is the vast majority of New Zealanders are opposed to this plan.”

Mr Norman also spoke to Firstline about the recent Parliament vote to keep the alcohol age at 18.

Watch the video for the full interview.

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Comments

31/08/2012 9:03:39 p.m.

eddie wrote:

Id love the Greens and Labour to be in contention for 2014, unlikely, but my point is the greens have never been put under the pump for costings as they were/are a minority...kinda like us shouting at the all black player who dropped the ball from the sidelines, the greens have been always great in opposition, like Winnie, but come into power and OMG we have to actually cost/answer to the country...and if that day comes...it's NZ's demise!

31/08/2012 1:47:19 p.m.

Wiseacre wrote:

@JIM - Asset sale won't reduce debt. Every analyses agrees that selling our strategic, income generating infrastructure will leave us worse off. Keep them. National also campaigned on a *Brighter Future*. How's that coming along? Poverty is up. Inequality is up. Cost of living is up. Unemployment is up. *Blighted* future more like.

31/08/2012 10:33:44 a.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE from Mr Norman: "“It’s part of giving the people of New Zealand an opportunity to express their opinion on the sale of these assets. What we’ve seen time and again is the vast majority of New Zealanders are opposed to this plan.”

Here we go again - The Green Party reverting to their natural DNA which is to oppose anything the Government wants to do to reduce debt without submitting any real ideas forward of how the private sector could produce real jobs if the Greens were in power.

It looks as though the Greens with help from Labour and their Union masters that the above call for a referendum will get enough signatures and more tax payers hard earned cash will be spent on a referendum that we do not need.


National campaigned all last year that they would sell 49% of some state assets and Labour campaigned on introducing a Capital Gains Tax, raising the age of pension eligibilty and removal of GST off food and drinks.

Two very clear and precise visions.

At election time the electorate weighed up what was on offer from both parties and voted the Nats back in by about 2 to 1 to Labour.

Those are the ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS Mr Norman not your fairyland beliefs.

WE DO NOT NEED THIS POLITICALLY DRIVEN REFERENDUM.

The Greens oppose all mining plus gas & oil exploration - Australia would be broke if our Green party was in OZ.

Yet there is a mass exodus of employed and not employed New Zealanders to Australia (land of gold and opportunity) to work in the mining, gas, oil sectors and their support industries. (1,000 per week I believe)

More will be leaving Greymouth shortly thanks to Solid Energy???

We cannot hope to compete with Australia with our Labour & Green political parties outlook on life which basically oppose anything that tries to decrease our Nations debt and then they both want to tax people more without submitting any ideas on real job creation in the private sector.