FACT: National sold 13,000 state houses: housing stock dropped from 70,000 in 1991 to 59,000 in 1999 by the time the Labour-Alliance Government was elected. Under National there were no widespread building or acquisition initiatives: the plan was to sell most state houses until only 10,000 were left. The Labour-Alliance has added 400 houses in the past year and plans to have more than 60,500 state houses in the next three years.

DAVID CARTER (David Carter, National Housing spokesman on Breakfast, TVNZ, 6 March, 2001): "Yes, it (National) did sell 13,000, but what the minister neglects to tell is it then acquired a further 10,000..."

RESPONSE: Just where are those 10,000 extra state houses that National built Dave? Seems like you’re the only one who knows about them . . . . when you find them we’d really like to know where they are …

FACT: State rent rises of 106% and the sell off of state houses led to overcrowding in some of New Zealand's poorest communities which in turn helped trigger the spread of infectious diseases: in particular the deadly meningicoccal epidemic which is in its 10th year in South Auckland.
The Labour-Alliance Coalition immediately boosted state housing maintenance to $118 this year: $28 million more per annum than the previous Government expenditure.
This week Prime Minister Helen Clark launched a new Healthy Housing initiative aiming to move families out of severly crowded, unhealthy homes.

DAVID CARTER (David Carter, National Housing spokesman on Breakfast, TVNZ, 6 March, 2001): "What we did was try to bring equity into the housing system . . ."

RESPONSE: What’s equitable about 106% state rent rises and 23% private rent rises David?

DAVID CARTER (David Carter, National Housing spokesman on Breakfast, TVNZ, 6 March, 2001): "I think the fact that the Government's recognised they need to do something about overcrowding is good news, I congratulate them for that. It is something that was started by the previous Government."

RESPONSE: David you've hit it on the head! Overcrowding was something that was started by the previous Government – but it's something that the Labour-Alliance is going to address.

FACT: There are more than 59,000 not 55,000 state houses
There are at least 150,000 people living in state houses nationwide.
All state rents depend on a tenant's income.

DAVID CARTER (David Carter, National Housing spokesman on Breakfast, TVNZ, 6 March, 2001): "What they've done is introduce income-related rents which are attractive to 55,000 low-income New Zealanders"

FACT: All high earning tenants revealed recently in the media became state tenants under the previous National Government who did not make rigorous income checks.
The Labour-Alliance has fixed this anomaly: state houses are now allocated according to need. Those people with the most serious housing needs take priority.

DAVID CARTER (David Carter, National Housing spokesman on Breakfast, TVNZ, 6 March, 2001): "The Government is having to justify why there are 300 people earning in excess of $50,000 in state houses . . . " (Dave's leader, Jenny Shipley in her latest newsletter entitled [in case anyone has any ideas] the 'National Leader')

RESPONSE: David, you really ought to tell your Leader that all those rich tenants got into state houses under National's profit driven housing regime where ability to pay market rents was the primary requirement in getting a state house.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>