Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
11 JULY 2017

Loose Change for Te Puea From a Govt Failing on Housing

National is tossing $125,000 to Te Puea Marae in desperation to build five modular units to help get New Zealand families off the street,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“It’s loose change for a government that has abysmally failed on the issue of housing by first fuelling demand and then doing nothing about it.

“They might as well have imported a mining village from Australia and popped it up as Kaikoura has done for workers in a few months.

“But the sight of an Aussie mining village to house New Zealanders would have really sheeted it home to Aucklanders that National has failed to manage housing at all levels.

“All credit to Te Puea. Remember only last year the Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett refused to acknowledge the housing problem, refused to meet the marae that was trying to deal with it and then deliberately tried to smear chairman Hurimoana Dennis.

“She should be apologising in shame and personally delivering the $125,000 to Mr Dennis.

“None of this would have occurred had the government built and maintained state houses. It tried to flog them off instead, which has failed.

“Even comfortable New Zealanders have a right to feel aggrieved that National does not recognise the massive welfare problem it is creating for the future.

“Children are being shuffled from house to house, now into modular cabins on a marae – their schooling suffers and parents are pushed to the edge.

“The National Party has been the most disgraceful administration this country has ever seen when it comes to housing. We defy any fair commentator to say otherwise – they have just been abysmal.”

ENDS

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