Double Act Bungle Again
"ACT MP Muriel Newman and National MP Tony Ryall have bungled again," Housing Minister Mark Gosche said today.
"Muriel Newman attacked increases in Housing New Zealand payments to employees that were agreed to by National MP Tony Ryall when he was the Minister of Housing and his predecessors," he said.
The movement in remuneration paid to Housing Zealand staff relates to performance payments, agreed in July 1998, made to staff working on the year 2000 compliance issue and increases in remuneration as a result of performance reviews undertaken in July 1999.
"Next Tony Ryall claimed that not one extra state house has been built since I became Housing Minister when he knows we have acquired and leased more than 400."
"Dr Newman and Mr Ryall are as lazy in opposition as they were in Government."
"Mr Ryall conveniently forgets that his Government sold more than 11,000 state homes, planned to sell 10,000 more over the next three years and would have already sold 3,200 this year alone."
"We have been left with a huge maintenance backlog because National refused to maintain homes they planned to sell. We are spending $28.5 million more on maintenance than the previous Government."
"Mr Ryall is directly responsible for running down and mismanaging New Zealand's biggest asset."
"Our Government's highest priority has been to restore income related rents."
"Income-related rents will bring fairness back into state housing in New Zealand - so far 36,610 applications from state house tenants have been received by Housing New Zealand."
"Our policy is going to make a huge, positive difference in the lives of thousands of low-income New Zealanders."
"National's market rents experiment saw state rents rise 106% while private sector rents went up 23%."
"Labour will be delivering on a key election promise come December 1, 2000 when we scrap universal market rents. From then all rents will be related to a tenant's ability to pay.'
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