The spat over whether state-owed energy assets should be sold and what value they would bring if partially sold and listed on the NZX continued yesterday with Labour finance spokesman David Cunliffe taking the lead.
The admission by Finance Minister Bill English that the proceeds from SOE asset sales were uncertain begged the question why National was determined to continue with them, he said.
"What is certain is that nearly three-quarters of New Zealanders oppose asset sales, they are irreversible, and New Zealanders can only prevent them with their vote on November 26," Mr Cunliffe said.
On TV One's Q+A programme on Sunday, Mr English said the Government was going to keep 51% of the assets up for sale - Solid Energy, Mighty River Power, Genesis and a further sell-down of Air New Zealand.
"When people understand that, they relax a bit about the anxiety.
But there's a number of benefits. It gives New Zealanders something to invest their growing savings in apart from finance companies."
It would also get New Zealand's public stock market back in action growing jobs and exports needed for the formation of capital.
But when pressed on what the partial sale of the assets would bring, Mr English said there was no guarantee the sell-down would bring the $5 billion to $7 billion previously announced.
"We can't guarantee the amount but these are of considerable worth. I mean, people pay their power bills every week. They feel like they are paying a lot. That is what underpins the value of these companies so they're certainly worth a lot of money."
On the same programme, Mr Cunliffe reiterated that Labour would not sell SOEs but was questioned why Labour did not buy back the 23% of Air NZ it did not own when it was last in government and had substantial surpluses at its disposal if government ownership was the best option.
As part of the government rescue deal overseen by former finance minister Michael Cullen, 25% of the company was to stay in private hands with a double hands-off arrangement and a private board, he said.
After further questioning, Mr Cunliffe admitted Labour had no plans to buy back the 25%.
Mr Cunliffe said yesterday National had done a "complete back-flip". Associate Finance Minister Steven Joyce had said he had precise data on the lost dividends, while Mr English said he had no idea whether the $5 billion to $7 billion target could be achieved.