Confidence in KiwiBuild is rapidly fading, with the Salvation Army the latest group to lose faith, today urging Phil Twyford to raise the white flag and call in the experts, National’s Housing and Urban Development spokesperson Judith Collins says.

“It’s time for Phil to face the facts - his KiwiBuild plan is ill-thought through and it’s not delivering for New Zealanders, but he seems to be the only person refusing to face the facts.

“You’ve had builders, academics, the Treasury, Reserve Bank, MBIE, economists and media commentators all pointing out the serious flaws in his policy, and saying the Government won’t deliver on its promises, in spite of Phil’s ‘Hear No Evil’ approach to his responsibilities.

“And today it’s the Salvation Army urging Phil to accept he’s not up to it and calling on the Government to bring in the experts to deliver more houses.

“The KiwiBuild programme needs to be directed by New Zealanders who have … a wide range of high-quality skills. We urge the Government to urgently convene such a group so that the KiwiBuild concept can deliver as quickly as possible this homeownership housing,” it said.

“Well it’s clear Phil’s not up to it and instead he’s taking residential construction backwards,” Ms Collins says.

“Under National we had reached record levels of housing construction, with 200,000 houses forecast to be built over the next six years, but all that progress is being undermined by Phil.

“It’s time to face the facts and get out of the way, Phil. You’re not doing what you promised, you’re stuffing the housing market and New Zealanders are paying the price.”

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