8 August 2005

Grant Gillon, Progressive Party President

TV3 censors Progressive case for more help for first home buyers

Viewers of TV3's "Leaders' Debate" on Aug. 11 will be denied the chance to hear Jim Anderton's Progressive party outline its case for a bigger effort by central government to assist low income families into their first homes, says Progressive Housing Spokesperson and president, Grant Gillon.

"Progressive is taking a more ambitious housing policy to the electorate in this year's election than that being offered by our Labour coalition partner.

"Our housing policy, like our policy to raise the alcohol purchasing age and our policy to cut the company tax rate to promote jobs, are some of the policies which Jim Anderton would have liked to have raised on the debate with other leaders of third parties like ACT and the Maori Party.

"ACT and the Maori Party are on record supporting very significant cuts to central government revenue via significant, indiscriminate income tax cuts, policies which would make it impossible to do more for low income families seeking to get into their first homes.

"The chances of the Maori and ACT parties getting into government are somewhere between zero and impossible, while Progressive has a good chance of winning representation in an historic, third-term coalition Cabinet.

"So TV3 is doing Kiwi families looking for a hand-up into their first home an almighty disservice," Grant Gillon said.

A Weekend Herald DigiPoll survey of 1,000 people published on Saturday found that 61 per cent of respondents with a view said they believe the government wasn't doing enough to help first-home buyers.

ENDS