The Government is moving with indecent haste to sell off significant numbers of Housing Corporation sections before the
election, says Labour housing spokesperson Graham Kelly.
Mr Kelly questioned today in Parliament the propriety of a campaign to sell 97 vacant sections nationwide.
"This is land designated for state housing being flogged off, including sections in areas of acute housing need like the
East Cape," Mr Kelly says.
"The advertising says it is an opportunity for 'an astute investor, developer or entrepreneur'. It seems this Government
is keener to help property speculators than people living in garages and tents."
"Social Services Minister Roger Sowry tried to play down the significance of the sale in Parliament by mentioning the
sections described as blocking strips, buffer zones and right-of-way drives. He left out the part of the sales material
that says 'the bulk of the portfolio contains residential sections'."
"A sell-off like this within three months of an election is clearly part of a 'scorched earth' strategy, designed to
stop an incoming Labour government restore state housing. We have already seen 11,000 state houses sold throughout New
Zealand by National."
"National isn't re-investing the profits of these sales in the remaining public housing stock. While it rakes in
millions of dollars, state house tenants in South Auckland still live in overcrowded, damp, rat-infested homes and
suffer the terrible consequences for their health."