National will sell state assets but not their own policy

It seems National is willing to hock off stated owned assets, but no one is willing to front up and publically debate the policy, says Labour's State Owned Enterprises spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

The Hampden Community Energy Society invited National MPs and Prime Minister John Key to a debate where they could argue for the sale of state assets. They declined.

"I would have thought that National MPs would have jumped at the chance to talk about selling state assets with Kiwi 'mums and dads'. But apparently when invited to debate the issue not a single one of them could spare the time," Clayton Cosgrove said.

"The reality is National knows its policy is massively unpopular and MPs are uneasy about fronting-up to explain it.

"This latest refusal to turn up for a debate on state assets follows National MPs failing to front on the television show Q +A a few weeks ago to debate the same issue.

"Given that National has claimed Kiwis would be lining up to buy shares in state-owned assets you would expect it to take every opportunity to talk up the policy," Clayton Cosgrove said.

© Scoop Media