National leader Simon Bridges apologises for HNZ tenants kicked out over meth contamination

National Party leader Simon Bridges has apologised to Housing New Zealand tenants who were evicted on "dud advice" about meth contamination when his party led the Government.

Speak to Radio New Zealand this morning, Bridges said questions had been asked of Housing New Zealand, Ministry of Health and Standards New Zealand of the meth standard applied at the time.

"[We got] ultimately, it now seems clear from Sir Peter Gluckman, dud advice.

"I'm sorry that the advice that we got was wrong, and it made the situation what it is."

Bridges said the previous government had been sceptical about the meth level being applied by Housing New Zealand and had been frustrated by the advice that was being given.

"We wanted people in houses. There's nothing about having them out of these houses for reasons of health and safety that we liked.

"The advice that consistently came back then, that now Sir Peter Gluckman has made clear is wrong, and that's incredibly frustrating for us, was that they couldn't be in there."

Bridges denied it was part of the previous government's "tough on crime" stance.

"I categorically reject that. We wanted people in houses, it was our number one goal."

State Housing Action Network spokesman John Minto told RNZ it was a "policy of denigration".

"It fed into the narrative where [the previous government] wanted to blame people in state houses for being in state houses."

The network has written to Housing Minister Phil Twyford calling for the resignation of Housing New Zealand chief executive Andrew McKenzie.

Last week, Twyford released a report by Gluckman, the chief science adviser, which said there was no evidence that meth-contaminated homes were a health risk to the people who lived in them.

Housing New Zealand has spent $100 million needlessly decontaminating state houses and evicting tenants.

Private home owners have also spent a huge amount decontaminating properties.