The Government edict that pensioner houses can't be sold without local councils replacing them is nothing more than a skirmish between two warring factions of what was once the Alliance Party, ACT Local Government Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff said today.

"Matt Robson appears to have fired the first shot in a bare-faced pitch for pensioner votes in Auckland especially. Minister of Housing Mark Gosche and Minister of Local Government Sandra Lee have been deliberately sidelined to watch the evolving feud between Laila Harre and the Anderton clique.

"This pathetic attempt by Alliance factions to ensure electoral survival also illustrates that the proposed partnership approach between Central and Local Government will be one of master and servant. The power of general competence is designed to give a large measure of autonomy to councils is an illusion as Alliance politicians cynically battle each other for control of pension votes.

"The fact is that pensioner housing has been sold off for decades by Labour and National governments. The net effect will be that no more pensioner housing will be built by councils thanks to the desperate attempts by the Alliance Party to create a reason for being," Gerry Eckhoff said.

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