Over half of New Zealanders oppose greater privatisation, according to a new 1News Verian poll, while just under a third support it.
For the poll, people were asked: “There has been talk of whether or not the Government should sell some assets to the private sector so that the private sector can deliver some services currently delivered by the government. In principle, do you support or oppose greater privatisation?”
The responses found 56% opposed greater privatisation, 32% supported it and the rest didn’t know or didn’t want to say.
The poll of 1002 eligible voters was conducted from February 3 to 7.
Those more likely than average to oppose greater privatisation were Labour supporters (77%), Greens supporters (77%), Pacific peoples (76%), people living in Wellington (69%), women aged 35 to 54 (68%) and Māori (67%).
Those more likely than average to support it were ACT supporters (62%), National supporters (54%), Asian peoples (50%) and people living in Auckland (39%).
On why the majority opposed greater privatisation, political researcher Max Rashbrooke told 1News often — outside of a few success stories — the apparent benefits of privatisation “don’t actually stack up”.
“It’s like a short term sugar hit. It puts some more money in the government coffers but, of course, what it does is it takes an asset out of public ownership and then you’ve done it once, there’s no more money coming in and it doesn’t really resolve any of your long term problems.
“I think the public have seen that time and again and that’s why they’re sceptical.”
During his State of the Nation speech last month, ACT’s David Seymour said New Zealanders “need to get past squeamishness about privatisation”, and said the government is “hopeless at owning things”.
“We need to get past squeamishness about privatisation,” the ACT leader says. (Source: 1News)
Recently, he told 1News: “You could ask why do [the government] own QV, a property evaluation company … that’s just an example, but actually, the government has underway a process of evaluating the public purpose of owning different companies.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has ruled out asset sales during this term of government, but did not rule out doing so in any further terms he may serve.
NZ First’s Winston Peters has long fought against asset sales in the past.
“You know our position from the day we were founded a long time ago. We have never changed on those matters,” Peters told 1News.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins was inequivocably opposed to privatisation. “Most New Zealanders can see that selling assets and privatising public services ultimately means New Zealanders pay more to get less.”
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty said previous asset sales such as energy companies was what had led to “unaffordable energy bills”.
“Apparently, the solution to that is to sell the rest — it is dumb.”
