Govt’s performance attacked
AUCKLAND: Act New Zealand leader David Seymour has lambasted the Government for what he is describing as a laundry list of failures, including overseeing the greatest transfer of wealth in New Zealand’s history.
Speaking to party faithful in Auckland on Saturday, Mr Seymour delivered his State of the Nation speech, taking aim at the Government for declaring the wrong crisis.
Late last year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared a climate crisis in Parliament.
‘‘This declaration is an acknowledgement of the next generation. An acknowledgement of the burden that they will carry if we do not get this right and do not take action now,’’ she said at the time.
But Mr Seymour said if there was a climate crisis, then there was also a crisis in education, public order, productivity growth, housing and Oranga Tamariki.
He was particularly critical of the Government’s housing record, especially when it came to house prices.
Mr Seymour pointed out the average wage for a worker was $55,000 but in 2020, the average house price went up more than twice that, by $121,000, from $628,000 to $749,000.
‘‘Imagine you are an idealistic young Labour MP. Let’s call you, say, Grant, or Chris, or Jacinda,’’ he said, referencing senior ministers Robertson, Hipkins and Ardern.
‘‘You realise you’ve just overseen the greatest transfer of wealth from those who work to those who own in the history of our country.’’
Ms Ardern has previously pushed back on suggestions rapid house price growth was the Government’s fault, saying lowinterest rates and the high cost of building materials were major factors.
But Mr Seymour said the Government needed to take more responsibility when it came to the supply of houses.
‘‘We have a country that’s practically uninhabited, but somehow it has a shortage of land you’re allowed to build on. Only governments can manufacture famine from plenty . . . they’re like a reverse Jesus.’’
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ms Ardern said the Government was looking into how it could free up more Crown land for housing developments. — The New Zealand Herald