Opposition MPs are accusing Prime Minister John Key of breaking an election promise because he won't rule out selling Kiwibank after the next election.Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton has found assurances Mr Key gave before the last election -- one o
Opposition MPs are accusing Prime Minister John Key of breaking an election promise because he won't rule out selling Kiwibank after the next election.
Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton has found assurances Mr Key gave before the last election -- one of them during the leaders' debate on November 3, 2008, when he said "National would not sell Kiwibank at any stage, ever. We have ruled it out".
Another was in response to a question from a newspaper reader, when Mr Key said "I am ruling out selling Kiwibank at any point in the future".
Mr Anderton put those comments to Mr Key in Parliament yesterday, and the prime minister replied: "Our policy is not to sell any assets in this term. What happens in future terms is something we will have to consider as we go into future elections."
Labour's finance spokesman, David Cunliffe, said the commitments Mr Key made before the last election were unequivocal.
"It's a broken promise... the November 2008 comment could leave no room for misinterpretation," Mr Cunliffe told NZPA.
"You can't on the one hand rule something out for ever and later say you might do it -- those positions are incompatible."
Mr Anderton said the pre-election undertaking had been very clear.
"John Key's current position on Kiwibank is a broken promise," he said.
