Arrests no solution to homelessness

Green MP Nandor Tanczos has reacted angrily to Winston Peter's comments that homeless protestors at the Cenotaph were "an appalling sight" and "offensive", and blamed him for today's arrest of one of them.

"Winston Peters used to take on the rich and powerful, but now he just kicks the downtrodden. He sits in his ivory tower, with his en suite toilet, and victimises the homeless and the poor," said Nandor.

"Homelessness is a massive problem and Mr Peters is not offering any solutions. He is just upset that someone is spoiling his view. If he thinks we will get rid of the homeless by arresting them, he has lost the plot. Or maybe he just doesn't care," he said.

"If he bothered to go and talk to them he might learn something. These people have been moved from place to place around the city already. They have nothing. There are empty buildings all over Wellington, which they say they want to clean up and move into. The alternative is living on the streets."

A man who wanted only to be known as 'brother', who is famous in Wellington for his tattered jeans and blanket, was arrested at the site today.

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