State House Sales Back On The Agenda
After nine years of saying they would stop State house sales, the Labour Alliance Government is planning a sell-off of their own, National's Housing spokesman Tony Ryall said today.
"This makes a blatant lie of Labour's pre-election promise to 'stop the sale of State houses'.
"Michael Lennon, Chief Executive of Housing New Zealand, admitted to the Social Services Select Committee this morning that sales of some houses has been discussed with the Minister Mr Gosche and he said 'not this year'.
"Today the Minister of Housing confirmed in an answer to a written parliamentary question that the Government would allow the sale of some vacant properties, just like National.
"Mr Gosche criticised us when we did it, but now it's okay for him to do it.
"This is the ultimate in hypocrisy. The Government's pre-election policy stated that they would 'stop the sale of state houses'.
"National sold empty houses in towns like Invercargill and Wanganui and small houses in South Auckland so we could meet the demand for big houses in South Auckland and were pilloried by Mr Gosche and his colleagues for it," Mr Ryall said.
Ends releases as the body of the message.