Hon Nick Smith National Party Building & Construction Spokesman

14 July 2005

Labour being hypocritical over timber liability

National's Building spokesman, Nick Smith, says it is quite hypocritical of Labour to be telling Auckland City it must accept surface treated T1.2 timber when Labour is also saying the council takes the liability if it goes wrong.

"If the Department of Building & Housing wants to override the decision of Auckland City Council over the T1.2 surface treated timber, then it must also underwrite any liability if things go wrong.

"The liabilities that could flow for ratepayers from this T1.2 product could be huge, given that 10,000 homes have been built from it. Councils have every right to be cautious.

"This issue exposes the gross inconsistencies in Labour's whole approach to the leaky homes problem.

"It must either withdraw its direction that councils accept this product, or make plain that it will accept liability if it goes wrong.

"This directive makes a farce of Labour's repeated assertions that it has no responsibility for the thousands of rotting leaky homes," Dr Smith says.

ENDS

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