27 July 2012

Greens collect 100,000 signatures to keep our assets

The Green Party has now collected over 100,000 signatures for the petition to force a referendum on asset sales as a member of the Keep Our Assets Coalition, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.

The Greens are part of a coalition of community groups, NGOs, unions, and political parties who have formed the Keep Our Assets Coalition to push for a referendum on the Government’s asset sales policy. The coalition’s petition was launched on April 28th 2012, and has until May 3rd 2013, to collect the 310,000 valid signatures are needed to trigger a referendum.

“The speed at which signatures are being collected shows there will be a referendum on asset sales,” Dr Norman said.

“The Government should not rush their unpopular asset sales programme through before the people of New Zealand get a chance to have their say.

“The Government’s asset sales programme and the costs involved have changed substantially from that pitched by John Key in the 2011 election.

“John Key should put his more costly asset sales programme up before the public and see what the result is.

“We’ve been collecting well over a thousand signatures a day on average over the past three months and Kiwis are still signing up in droves to keep our assets,” said Dr Norman.

“Our MPs have also been out on the streets helping to collect signatures and are getting great feedback from the public.

“This evening Green MP Kevin Hague will be mixing it up with Crusaders and Chiefs fans outside Waikato stadium.

“The passing of the asset sales legislation is by no means the end of this issue,” said Dr Norman.

“A Citizens Initiated Referendum on asset sales will give New Zealanders the chance to send the Key Government a clear message that they don’t want our assets sold.”

Note: The 100,000 figure is for the Greens alone. Other members of the coalition have also collected tens of thousands of signatures. The speed at which signatures are being collected makes an accurate combined total difficult, but it is approaching 200,000 and the coalition as a whole is collecting around 2,000 signatures a day.

ENDS

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