Govt doesn't have asset sales mandate - Greens

The statement by the Prime Minister that the Government has a mandate to partially sell state assets is being rejected by the Greens.

Co-leader Russel Norman has written to all parties asking them to support an amendment to asset sale legislation that'll see a halt put on the sale until the results of a petition calling for a referendum are known.

John Key says National campaigned on asset sales, and won the election, therefore it has the support for the sale to go ahead.

But Dr Norman says many people voted for National, but oppose asset sales.

"A political party has a broad platform, and people who vote for them don't necessarily agree with every element of that platform and when you look at the opinion polls clearly New Zealander's do not agree with the privatisation programme."

John Key says there's absolutely no merit to that idea.

"New Zealanders didn't go to an election unaware of what National was proposing. They went with that being a single issue, the entire election campaign was based around that issue, and a million New Zealanders turned up and said to the National Party, we want you to be the Government."

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