Labour anti-landlords

Dr Muriel Newman Tuesday, 28 June 2005 Speeches - Taxation

Extract from speech to the Southland Property Investors Association, Lindisfarne Community Centre, Tuesday 28 June 2005, 7.30pm.

ACT Deputy Leader and Housing spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today urged the Southland Property Investors Association to help change the government at the next election by giving ACT their party vote.

Only ACT has stood up constantly for the rights of property investors since Labour became the government. ACT has opposed tax increases and the punitive changes that are being proposed after the election, including a register of all rental property, rent controls, the registration of landlords, warrant of fitness checks, checks for tenancies and government advocates for tenants.

The Labour Government continually singles out landlords, yet overwhelmingly the problem is with bad tenants. It is hard to understand why the Government is so fixated with penalising landlords.

Information released by Housing NZ shows that 90 percent of all complaints to the Tenancy Tribunal are against tenants. The majority of those complaints relate to unpaid rent and property damage. Tenants owed Housing NZ $2,157,593.13 in outstanding rent payments at 30 April 2005 and $1,875,492.21 in charges relating to damage by tenants.

It is short sighted of Labour to be penalising property investors who work in partnership with the Government to house those New Zealanders who don’t own their own homes.

The Government should stop penalising landlords and start addressing the real problem -tenants from hell.

“Clearly the Government has avoided addressing that problem because tenants from hell are generally Labour voters.

“Steve Maharey should stop putting politics ahead of decent hard- working property investors, who are providing a valuable service to the country.

“The Government has failed to recognise the importance of private property investors in the residential market.

“The state clearly has a role in providing emergency housing. It should not be providing life long taxpayer subsidised accommodation.

ENDS

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