MP happy with petition support

Green MP Stefan Browning and volunteers collected more than 400 Marlborough signatures over the weekend for the Keep Our Assets petition.

Mr Browning was in Kaikoura and Blenheim at the weekend and will be in Picton today with the petition, which seeks a referendum to challenge the Government's mandate to partially privatise state-owned assets.

Mr Browning was also busy fielding questions about New Zealand King Salmon's bid to develop nine new marine farms in the Marlborough Sounds.

In the past week Mr Browning has been in Blenheim, Kaikoura, New Plymouth, and Palmerston North, and was pleased with the positive feedback. "The mood is seriously against asset sales, and even people who are not in opposition are signing because they want Government to have another look at it. National think they have a mandate, but people voted for them for a range of reasons, and many did not vote at all."

He hoped enough signatures would be collected before the Government began partially privatising Mighty River Power in September. "It will be very unfortunate if any New Zealand assets are sold, and we will do our best to reduce those sales," the Marlborough-based MP said.

- The Marlborough Express

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