Bill English rips into Labour on housing

Prime Minister Bill English has made his strongest attacks on Labour's housing policy yet, saying its promise to build 100,000 houses while opposing two major developments in Auckland was "ridiculous".

English also said the party was contradicting itself by planning a large building programme while planning to cut migrant worker numbers, saying its approach was "just dumb".

The Government announced last week it would build 34,000 houses in 10 years, demolishing around 8000 homes to make way for them.

About 21,000 will be sold on the open market, and between 20 to 50 per cent will be sold for less than $650,000.

Labour has described National's policy as "embarrassing". It has proposed building 100,000 houses in 10 years, half of them in Auckland, and all of them for less than $600,000.

English said the Government's plan was based on what was feasible.

"While our political opponents talk about a Kiwibuild policy, they actually in practice have a no-build policy.

"That is, where developments are proposed in their community, they are opposing them."

He questioned how Labour would achieve its goal of 100,000 houses when it was opposing large developments in the old Three Kings quarry site and in Pt England.

A bill allowing development in Pt England will come before Parliament this week.

Labour originally said it would back the legislation, but later reversed its position, saying it was "land grab" from local iwi.

Labour's housing spokesman Phil Twyford responded to English's criticism this morning.

"There are so many things that the Government should be doing to fix the housing crisis. They should be banning foreign buyers, they should be building affordable houses, they should be not selling state houses.

"There's a long, long list. But building houses on city parks is not one of those things. It's a nuts idea."

He said the Pt England reserve would grow by 20,000 people in the next 10 years as a result of the nearby Tamaki regeneration project.

"If we build houses on park land, where will the kids play?"

Labour's alternative plan would give the local iwi Ngati Paoa 11ha to develop for commercial housing, while protecting the remainder of the reserve for future generations.