Nat's hands-off housing approach failing Kiwis

John Key’s glib dismissal of the problem of declining home ownership leaves thousands of Kiwis struggling to buy their first home without hope of ever realising their dream, says Labour Leader David Shearer.

“Instead of wasting valuable time and energy trying to slap down Labour’s solutions, John Key should be lifting his sights to try and fix the problem for the good of the country.

“The Government should be hands-on, but instead John Key is sitting back and arguing that the problem is too big so why bother? That’s disappointing for the thousands of Kiwis who are desperate to take their first step on the housing ladder. They will quite rightly feel let down by the Prime Minister.

“The market has failed and so has National. Its hands-off approach to housing affordability isn’t working. We saw evidence of that in Parliament today when John Key couldn’t even give a rough estimate of how many affordable homes would be built under his Government.

“He’s so caught up in trying to make excuses and to find reasons why affordable homes supposedly can’t be built in Auckland that he’s lost sight of the fact that the Government has the power to make a difference.

“Agencies like the New Zealand Housing Foundation are building houses in Auckland for around $300,000 right now. We should be doing that on an even a bigger scale.

“Instead of trying to prove how difficult the issue is, John Key should take up Labour’s innovative plan to build 100,000 new entry-level homes over the next 10 years.

“It is a bold plan, but it is doable. And it’s better than simply shrugging your shoulders and giving up. Let’s stop wasting time and get on with it,” said David Shearer.