Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
6 JULY 2017

National’s House of Cards Collapses Spectacularly Again

National was high and mighty in trumpeting its affordable housing projects in Auckland with private developers – but its house of cards has collapsed spectacularly, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Developers have failed to go ahead - more than half the special housing area projects, earmarked for affordable houses, have been canned.

“National gave special regulations for ‘fast development’ which shows that in the whole caucus there is not one practical MP.

“Developers always use helpful laws to achieve their goals, working for themselves, not those struggling to get a house.

“Developers got fast-tracked consents to build but these never translated to a house. Consents are not an indication of a built houses as New Zealand First has consistently pointed out.

“Of the 154 special housing areas 86 no longer exist. No-one has even counted how many affordable houses might have been built.

“The government has failed to build houses, it has kept up mass immigration so increased the demand for houses, and as a result house prices have soared.

“In Opposition in 2007, the National leader delivered speeches criticising the government for doing nothing about the housing crisis. He outlined their solutions.

“In 2008 when they were voted in they did nothing.

“In the last few years they started tinkering. Incompetent Minister Nick Smith was put in charge. Now we see a mess, instead of new houses.

“Developers were never interested in building small cheaper houses. They have spied more profitable opportunities. Private enterprise and building for those less well-off do not go hand in hand.

“New Zealand voters will look over the housing vacuum under National and feel let down,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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