David Cunliffe
Labour Leader

15 May 2014

First home buyers can just whistle

This budget does nothing to address New Zealand’s acute housing crisis, says Labour Leader David Cunliffe.

“There is nothing here for first home buyers.

“Nothing to build a single new home.

“Nothing to make rentals warm and dry.

“Nothing to stop offshore speculators driving up prices.

“Kiwi first-home buyers could get a better deal from their mortgage broker than the paltry $3500 the Government is offering.

“Removing tariffs on wallboard to offset building costs will not even make a dent in the price of a house in Auckland.

“Average prices in Auckland rose by $6208 dollars last month. The Government’s levy changes will save just two to three weeks of Auckland house-price inflation.

“The biggest announcement is $80 million dollars to pay the Ministry of Social Development to do the housing eligibility assessments that Housing New Zealand used to do.

“Labour will tackle the current the housing crisis which this morning New Zealanders rated as one of the biggest issues facing the country. They will be sorely disappointed by this budget.

“Labour will build 100,000 affordable houses, introduce a Capital Gains Tax, impose restrictions on offshore property speculators, reform monetary policy which will help lower interest rates, and make every rental property warm and dry.”

ENDS

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