Slumming It With Labour: Labour Should Come Clean On Housing Costs

"Labour should come clean on the cost of its giant leap backward on housing policy", Housing New Zealand Minister, Tony
Ryall said today.

"Helen Clark told taxpayers that the cost of reintroducing the failed housing policies of the past would be $134 million a
year.

"Independent analysis suggests the real loss in value to the taxpayer of this policy will actually be around $4,000 million.

"Now Labour Housing spokesperson, Graham Kelly, says there will be "a massive [State house] building programme" .

"The cost of this "massive building programme" has not been released or even talked about by Labour.

"What we do know is that Labour's policies would create waiting lists of 200,000 or more families waiting for a State
house.

"To satisfy their voters, Labour will be under pressure to build tens of thousands of houses.

"The cost of building 10,000 houses would be between $1,000 million and $1,500 million. "Labour must come clean and tell
taxpayers just how much they will have to pay and where the money will be coming from", Mr Ryall concluded.