Len Brown Makes up Numbers to Defend the Impossible

“Len Brown’s propaganda machine has resorted to the crudest form of its art; barefaced lies, in order to defend his negative impact on the affordability of Auckland housing,” says Waitemata & Gulf Council candidate, Stephen Berry. Mr. Berry’s comments are in response to Mayor Brown stating there are fifteen thousand sections available for new houses in the Auckland region, when there are actually just two thousand readily available now.

“Auckland voters should not be surprised at the Mayor’s ability to pull made up figures out of nowhere considering his talent for pulling other people’s money out of a hat. Economics, logic and plain common sense dictate that his support for continually increasing local body regulation of housing is what is driving house prices up. Aside from admitting he is wrong, what else can he do but make up statistics?”

While Berry accepts that much of what contributes to the housing bubble is a result of central Government regulation, such as the Resource Management Act, he says there are plenty of opportunities for representatives at Council level to have an impact on artificially high prices.

“The Metropolitan Urban Limit, supported by Len Brown, and designed to intensify housing creates an artificial constriction on supply, while doing nothing to dampen demand. Anybody who did basic economics at high school knows what happens when supply is constricted; prices go up!”

“Insane levels of regulation in relation to building consents, heritage protection and the ability of every two-bit neighbourhood busy body to make an objection to what you do with your own property also has a massive impact on the affordability of housing. Spending thousands obtaining consents and months fighting meddling curmudgeons definitely has the effect of increasing house prices overall and dooming young families to years of renting.”

“Finally, those who manage to get over the hurdle of buying a house find just occupying their property to be an expensive exercise. Funding debt levels that are allowed to exceed annual council revenue and ridiculous toy projects like Mike Lee’s $8 million train to nowhere are a huge burden on all property owners, especially those new to home ownership or dependent on National Superannuation. A council that borrowed, spent and taxed less would be a council that truly promoted housing affordability.”

Mr. Berry warns the over-spending leftist council majority that a real alternative to their big government oppression is mere weeks, rather than months away. “Shortly a nationwide, local body party will be launched offering ratepayers the opportunity for vote for real solutions making living in Auckland affordable. It will support less Council spending, lower Council rates, slash regulations and remove limits on housing supply.”

“The big government poverty creators of the council should start looking for new jobs.”

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>