24 May 2016

Paula Bennett’s housing denial a threat to New Zealand

Paula Bennett and her Government colleagues’ continual denial that there’s a housing crisis is the number one impediment to solving our country’s housing issues, the Green Party said today.

Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei will today hold the Minister for Social Housing to account at Question Time for her part in the worsening affordable and social housing emergency.

“As long as Paula Bennett, John Key and Bill English keep saying there’s no housing crisis, we’re not going to see enough new state and affordable homes, which is what’s desperately needed,” said Mrs Turei.

“The fact is, New Zealand can solve its housing crisis, we just need a Government that’s prepared to build new homes and fix the ones we’ve already got.

“This Government is very good at denying there’s a problem but unfortunately for New Zealanders, they’re very bad at creating real housing solutions that allow more people to buy a home or to put a roof over their heads.

“Government inaction got us into this housing mess, and Government policies can help dig us out of it, but the first step must be to acknowledge there’s a problem.

“Paula Bennett has the power to make a real difference to the lives of New Zealanders who are living in cars, garages and on the streets.

“Unfortunately, Paula Bennett is more concerned with booting people out of state houses than building new ones.

“Last week, the Green Party released our Homes Not Cars policy, which enables Housing New Zealand to build around 450 new houses by removing the onus on it to return $207 million in dividend and taxes to the Government in the next year.

“Instead of engaging meaningfully with the policy, Paula Bennett yet again denied there’s a crisis, and started up with more mud-slinging and name-calling.

“Paula Bennett’s response is typical of a Government that’s got its head buried in the sand. There’s a housing crisis happening in New Zealand, but National is too gutless to call it what it is, and to take real action to fix it,” said Mrs Turei.

ends

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