Eleven-day protest march to Wellington

Anti-asset sale hikoi aims to create change

Organisers of an eleven day hikoi from Cape Reinga to Wellington are hopeful it can change the Government's partial asset sale plan

TVNZ,

24 April, 2012

Shares in Mighty River Power will be up for grabs in about six months, with a sell off of up to 49% of Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand to follow.

Prime Minister John Key has said the fact the Government was re-elected gives it a mandate for the sales, which will help pay off debt.

But Miriam Pierard from pressure group Aotearoa Is Not For Sale told TV ONE's Breakfast the Government should not use the result as justification.

"We need to look at the statistics of people who turned out last year - 74% of eligible voters turned out to vote and that's terrible for a country that prides itself on its democratic process," she said.

"There is a lot of concern out there from people not just on the left, not just Maori, not just environmentalists but people from the centre right who have traditionally supported National are very unhappy about this."

The march, which begins this morning, also has the broader aim of protesting against selling land to overseas buyers and the exploitation of natural resources.

A large march from Britomart to Aotea Square is planned for Saturday when the hikoi reaches Auckland.

Pierard said she expects around 10,000 people to join the protest on Saturday. Mana party leader Hone Harawira said the hikoi could be as large as the 2004 foreshore and seabed protest.