2013 New Zealand asset sales referendum

rdf:langString 2013 New Zealand asset sales referendum

rdf:langString New Zealand asset sales referendum, 2013

rdf:langString New Zealand

rdf:langString Source: Electoral Commission

rdf:langString Informal votes

rdf:langString The 2013 New Zealand asset sales referendum is a citizens-initiated referendum that took place by postal ballot from 22 November 2013 to 13 December 2013. It was on the Fifth National (Key) government's policy to partially privatise four energy-related state-owned enterprises and reducing the government's share in Air New Zealand. In March 2013, the groups collecting signatures to force the referendum announced that they had achieved enough signatures to comfortably clear the 10% registered voters threshold. However, in May 2013, the clerk of the house announced that the petition was 16,500 signatures short of the number required (308,753), as about 100,000 signatures on the petition were faulty or invalid. The organisers had a further two months to obtain the extra signatures. In September 2013, it was officially confirmed that the added signatures had successfully been collected, with the tally now standing some 18,500 more signatures than required. The referendum was backed by several prominent New Zealanders, including Dame Anne Salmond, who called it the "only just way" to determine whether asset sales are acceptable. On 30 September 2013, Prime Minister John Key announced that the referendum would be via postal ballot and would take place between 22 November and 13 December. The cost of the referendum would be $NZD9 million. John Key said that the Government intended to ignore the results of the referendum, as the 2011 general election gave them a mandate for the sell-off. The referendum result showed a two to one majority against the proposed asset sales.