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Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer said today National MPs have got a cheek crying crocodile tears over state house waiting lists when they sold 13,000 state houses and planned to sell 49,000 more.
"We don't have any state housing waiting lists in Wairarapa anymore because National sold them all of," Ms Beyer said.
"National sold 618 state houses in Wairarapa for $13.2 million. They also began charging inflated market rents that saw state rents soar 112% from 1991-1999: not one of these properties was replaced.
"Wairarapa misses out on every single housing initiative now because National sold off all state housing in our community - yet they never sought to reinvest any of the profits they made back into our community.
"National's market-driven housing policies hit New Zealand's poorest families and children the hardest. Last December the Labour-Alliance Coalition scrapped market rents and restored income-related rents because we believe decent, affordable, healthy housing is something tenants can expect from Government.
"One of the reasons there are now waiting lists is that thousands of needy families can now afford to live in state houses. Low-income families feel more secure and are not having to shift regularly.
"When a family moves from house to house this also means youngsters move from school to school. Teachers tell us starting a new school is an ordeal for youngsters and regular moves disrupt their educational progress and erode their confidence - but schools are already noticing more stability thanks to income-related rents."
"Over the past decade National's profit-driven housing policies led to children moving schools several times in their young lives while their parents struggle to pay the rent.
"Another reason why there are people on waiting lists is that state houses are now allocated on need: those with serious housing needs come first. In the past many never bothered to apply for a state house because they knew they could never afford it and that others would come first.
"More than 2400 families with severe housing needs have already been placed in state houses since December, 2000.
"We have been helping families and households living in shocking conditions many of whom couldn't afford market rents under National and who were not welcome in state houses," Ms Beyer said today.
"We have helped families who had been living for months in tents, caravan parks and women's refuges. Now they have a roof over their heads and a rent they can afford."
Ms Beyer also rejected criticism from National about 0.02% of state tenants who are high earners.
"National failed to tell the entire story about high-earning state house tenants. All of these tenants got into state houses under the National Government: this will not happen again under the Labour-Alliance coalition's social housing focus," Ms Beyer said.
"National's crocodile tears are just that: a croc.
"It's time National listened to New Zealanders who know that their market rents and profit driven state housing regime failed and had a disastrous effect on some our nation's neediest families and children.
"It's also time National stopped criticising our housing policies and came up with some of their own."
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