Editorial: Key guilty of assets sell off arrogance

When John Key stampeded into Government again last year, there was no doubt he was a popular man.

But that popularity could wane if he continues with the arrogance he showed last week over the Aotearoa Is Not For Sale hikoi.

Apparently our Prime Minister wasn't aware thousands of people had marched to Wellington, mainly in protest over the Government's plans to sell off state-owned assets.

As they walked through Wellington's CBD on Thursday towards Parliament, the numbers swelled to about 5000.

The hikoi passed through Rotorua on Monday last week and about 250 locals delivered a passionate message outside Rotorua MP Todd McClay's office.

One protester, former Rotorua woman Raima Hape of Ngati Whakaue descent, flew to Rotorua from Christchurch especially to deliver her message.

"I came back to my turangawaewae [place of belonging] especially to protest and be with my whanau. We don't want any of those sales to happen. They should be kept for our children," she told The Daily Post last week.

As the hikoi wrapped up in Wellington, Key happened to be in Auckland.

"How many people did they have?" Key asked reporters.

"Where was it? Nope wasn't aware of it."

Key said the National Party had a clear mandate to proceed with asset sales given more than a million New Zealanders voted for National with full knowledge of their plans.

"So look, a few thousand people walking down the streets of Wellington isn't going to change my mind," he said.

Sorry, but that's just rude. Despite a few familiar protesting faces being at the organising table of this hikoi, there were plenty of your average mums and dads who took time off work and from their day-to-day activities to march and wave banners because they are genuinely concerned for our country.

We get it. Key isn't going to change his mind. But it would have been polite to at least acknowledge their efforts, thank them for their concern and assure the country the Government intends to do what is best for all New Zealanders.