Election 2011: Sell-off, welfare reforms attacked

Green Party co-leaders Russel Norman and Metiria Turei during the Green Party campaign wrap-up at the Q Theatre. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Green Party wound up its election campaign yesterday by shifting focus from its core message of "jobs, kids and rivers" to attack National's plans for partial asset sales and welfare reform.

In what could be seen as a last-minute grab for centre-left voters considering moving to Labour, the Greens used their wrap-up party in Auckland to continue their onslaught on National's plans to sell up to 49 per cent of four energy companies and Air New Zealand.

The focus on state assets mirrors the approach of the Labour Party, which has been trying to shore up its centre-left support after having bled some votes to the Greens over the previous months.

The Greens are eyeing their most successful election, and they will be wary of left-leaning voters swinging back to Labour.

In 2008 the Greens won 6.72 per cent of the party vote, translating to nine MPs - the most the party has had and the same as after the 2002 election.

The only hiccup in the campaign was when a member linked to co-leader Russel Norman defaced National billboards around the country without telling the party, but support in the polls has held firm about 12 per cent.

"We set a target of 10 per cent, and anything above that is a bonus, and I feel very confident that we'll make that," co-leader Metiria Turei said.

Asked about the divide between the polls and the election that the Greens experienced in 2008, Mrs Turei said: "We have been polling consistently above 10 per cent for a few months now and that is a solid vote for us."

Yesterday, Ombudsman Beverley Wakem rejected urgent requests to release advice from the Treasury and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Government on state asset plans.

She said that the information was early advice on National's proposal, and releasing it could "detrimentally affect investor participation, and therefore the level of return to the Crown".

"Given that the estimated level of return is between $5 billion to $7 billion, the potential economic impact could be significant," the Ombudsman said.

Dr Norman said it was "outrageous" to keep the advice a secret on the eve of the election.

"If the Government's going to put out the figure, then we've got a right to see what are the calculations that sit behind that. Is it just pulled out of the air? Did some ministerial adviser google it on the internet? We shouldn't have to say, 'Oh well, we just trust they didn't make it up.' We want to know how they came to this figure."

Mrs Turei said National's welfare plans would not help beneficiaries or sole parents.

"Their reforms are about undermining parents, making children unsafe, not safer, and we will fight those all the way."