Asset sales petition to be resubmitted today

Grey Power president Roy Reid presenting the Keep Our Assets citizens initiated referendum petition to Opposition politicians at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Keep Our Assets coalition will resubmit the citizens' initiated referendum petition to stop asset sales today with an additional 51,000 signatures.

The coalition had two months to collect 16,000 valid signatures after the initial count was deemed just short of the 308,000 valid signatures required. More than 445,000 signatures have now been collected in total to force a referendum.

Keep Our Assets spokesman Roy Reid said the public's resolve to step the asset sales programme had not waned.

"If anything it has grown stronger, as shown by the large number of extra signatures collected in just eight weeks.

"People really got behind the last push to get the petition over the line to force a referendum on this issue because they see we can stop further asset sales.

Mr Reid said the Government should shelve the Meridian float until the outcome of the referendum was known.

"The asset sales programme is both unpopular and unsuccessful. It is time to stop it and give New Zealanders their say on the matter through a referendum,'' he said.

The petition will take up to two months to count. The additional 51,000 signatures will be added to the original signatures submitted for a new sample to be drawn.