Kiwis want nothing to do with Key's asset sell-off

Poll results confirm that the vast majority of New Zealanders aren't interested in buying shares in assets that they already own, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.

The poll results broadcast tonight on TV3 show that only 17% of people want to buy shares in the publicly-owned energy companies that National is planning to sell. Over three times as many people, 57%, say they do not want to pay to buy shares that already belong to them.

"This poll confirms that most Kiwis don't want to have anything to do with John Key's asset sales," said Dr Norman.

"Most New Zealand families don't have thousands of dollars sitting around to buy shares that already belong to them.

"The small group that will buy shares if the sales go ahead are likely to be the wealthy who have pocketed large tax cuts under National; not ordinary families, who are struggling to get by after four years of economic mismanagement.

"If the sales go ahead, money that the Government has borrowed to fund tax cuts for the rich will be used by the rich to buy up shares in our energy companies.

"For most Kiwis, that just spells more government debt and the loss of strategic public assets.

"The fact that the vast majority of New Zealanders either don't want to, or can't afford to, invest their money in John Key's asset sell-off is another reason to drop this ideologically-driven policy," said Dr Norman.