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Referendum petition gets past halfway mark

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Asset sales petition nears 200,000 signatures

3News NZ

Russel Norman (file)

Russel Norman (file)

Asset sales opponents have collected nearly two-thirds of the signatures they need to force a referendum.

The Greens, part of the Keep Our Assets coalition that wants a citizens-initiated referendum to be held, have collected 100,000 on their own.

Trade unions and others have collected about the same number and the total is approaching 200,000.

The coalition needs 310,000 valid signatures from registered voters.

"The speed at which signatures are being collected shows there will be a referendum on asset sales," Greens co-leader Russel Norman said on Friday.

"Our MPs are out on the street and they're getting great feedback from the public."

Dr Norman says the Greens are collecting more than 1000 signatures a day and the rest of the coalition is gathering them at about the same rate.

The Government has passed legislation authorising it to partially privatise four state-owned energy companies and shares in Mighty River Power are expected to be floated in September.

It has rejected calls to put the sales on hold until a referendum is held and says the result wouldn't make any difference to its plans.

The petition was launched on April 28 and its promoters have 12 months to collect the 310,000 valid signatures.

A referendum must be held with 12 months of the signatures being verified by parliament.

NZN

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Comments

29/07/2012 10:24:11 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

Still not enough out of a population of 4.3 million people(+). The 49% of Assets will be sold as planned, as campaigned for in the 2011 Election. National won....the pinkos lost !

28/07/2012 9:06:15 a.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

Quote: "The Greens, part of the Keep Our Assets coalition that wants a citizens-initiated referendum to be held, have collected 100,000 on their own.
Trade unions and others have collected about the same number and the total is approaching 200,000."


Another useless petition organised by the Greens who oppose everything and anything plus the Trade Unions - (sorry the Labour Party in disguise) to get a referendum which the Government does not have to recognise. What is the point????

All last year the Nats campaigned on selling 49% of some state assets and Labour campaigned on Capital Gains taxes and removing gst from healthy foods plus raising the age of the pension entitlement.

At election time - the voters looked at what was on offer and voted the Nats back in by roughly 2 to 1 to Labour.

We elect a party (any political party) by what they say they are going to do if they elected to govern.

We do not want a Government to make policies by politically fueled petitions and referendums.

Labour and the Greens failed miserably to reach the voting electorate last year and now all they can do is moan, groan and spend all their time (paid for by the hard working taxpayer) arranging useless petitions.


S wrote:
I would like to see a law passed to not sell large chunks of land to overseas investors, which is a different issue again to asset sales.
Labour during their 9 years in Government sold 660,000 hectares of NZ and to overseas people.


27/07/2012 7:52:40 p.m.

Kim wrote:

@Eddie..Your statement is factually incorrect..It was Key that ignored the referendum on child smacking. This will make 2 that national have/will ignore.

27/07/2012 6:14:08 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

I personally abhor citizens referenda, but also oppose asset sales, so I support the Maori Council's Waitangi Tribunal case against the sales.

27/07/2012 3:16:53 p.m.

eddie wrote:

Seems to be taking a while to get to the 310,000....according to The Greens/Labour it would be a doddle...won't make a blind bit of difference, same as the anti smacking referendum which Hullun ignored, or when National/Key ignore this one the sky will be falling and the biggest tragedy in NZ's democratic history etc etc blah blah, you will all forget who set the precedence of ignoring referendums?...or is that different as that was labour then? :) :) :)

27/07/2012 3:16:00 p.m.

S wrote:

I would like to see a law passed to not sell large chunks of land to overseas investors, which is a different issue again to asset sales.

27/07/2012 2:58:54 p.m.

DeanL wrote:

James. There are collectors around but easiest way is to download a copy here http://www.greens.org.nz/download-koa and http://keepourassets.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/KOA_CIR_PETITION_FORM_27_04_2012.pdf , then mail it to the address provided.

27/07/2012 2:50:08 p.m.

Sheryl wrote:

I want to sign this too. where do we sign it and how do we share it with our friends and family?

27/07/2012 2:41:33 p.m.

James wrote:

Where can we sign this petition? I want to sign it but this is the first I have heard of it.