Labour Plans Slums

"Labour's Housing Spokesman, Graham Kelly, has no vision for the future of public housing except letting time create vast slums," HNZ Minister, Tony Ryall, said today.

"Labour's plan is to concentrate the poorest New Zealand families into vast state house slums. Mr Kelly has said that he wants to replace better off families in state houses with the lowest income families. Put another way that means removing working families and replacing them with people who are not working.

"This is a recipe for the kind of social powder-kegs we see in places like east Los Angeles.

"One cannot imagine why Labour want to follow such a misguided path. Why has Mr Kelly so vehemently opposed National's plan, announced yesterday, to replace decaying and deteriorating state house suburbs with new, balanced communities including a good proportion of privately owned homes?

"Why shouldn't low-income families be allowed to live in decent homes in good communities?

"Frankly, the Labour hierarchy are obsessed with the idea that they know best and they should be ruling and controlling the ‘under-classes' from their plush offices in Wellington.

"National says Labour is wrong. We believe that with support, people and local communities can do a far better job than politicians and bureaucrats.

"Helping people to build stronger, safer communities is what National's plan for public housing is all about," said Mr Ryall.