Key shows hand — and it’s a full house
JOHN KEY will launch National’s election campaign today with a pitch to aspiring homeowners.
National is expecting more than 1500 party faithful at its launch in Manukau, a foray into heartland Labour territory.
After a torrid first week on the campaign trail, the prime minister will unveil a new policy responding to the housing shortage, one that is expected to clear the way for more affordable new homes.
The Government and Auckland Council have already pushed through measures they believe will result in 40,000 more new houses being built in Auckland alone within three years, including some big developments of 2500-plus new sections.
But factors including a reversal of the trans-Tasman exodus are putting pressure on the Government to move even faster.
Housing is an election battleground after a round of interest-rate rises, soaring Auckland house prices and the Reserve Bank clamping down on first-home buyers by forcing up the size of deposits.
There was speculation yesterday that one weapon in National’s arsenal might be low-interest loans for first- home buyers on low incomes but Government sources ruled that out. That would be ‘‘difficult’’ because it would work against the Reserve Bank’s efforts to rein in the market with a deposit cap, a Cabinet source said.
Labour Housing spokesman Phil Twyford yesterday took aim at the Government’s record on housing and said that under National’s watch, Auckland house prices had risen by an average $225,000 since 2008.
It now took 50 years to pay off the average house in Auckland, Twyford said.
The Government’s record in Canterbury was no better, and only 2000 houses had been rebuilt out of 11,000 destroyed by the earthquake.
It was estimated as many as 7400 people were homeless.
Security will be heavy for National’s campaign launch, which the party needs to go smoothly after a horror start to the election campaign with the release of Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics.
Other incidents, including protesters burning an effigy of Key, will also heighten fears of an attempt to derail the occasion.
Across town at Western Springs College today, Internet-Mana will promise to reduce inequality by creating jobs.