February 13, 2007

What’s the real story on Hobsonville John Key?

National Leader John Key has been caught out misleading New Zealanders on his opposition to the major housing development at Hobsonville in his electorate, in which a third of homes are reserved for affordable housing.

“John Key’s opposition to the development at Hobsonville is well known,” Maryan Street said.

“In June 2006 he said on National Radio:

‘So you’re talking about very expensive land. I mean I would describe it as economic vandalism frankly to be doing what Housing New Zealand are proposing.’

He has also said "National are committed to cancelling it, once we get back into Government."

“Yet this morning he told National Radio:

‘But if you look at Government land well Hobsonville is in my electorate, they've identified that as a place where affordable housing could be built. I agree with them…”

“To fight tooth and nail against this significant development having affordable housing and state housing is bad enough, but to claim today that he now supports the affordable housing there is even worse. It’s sheer duplicity on Mr Key’s part.

“He also claimed that Hobsonville's ‘still got no infrastructure in the form of roading or sewerage. It’s years away from that’.

“That's not true either. Earthworks to develop that infrastructure are set to begin later this year, subject to consents being approved. Houses in the first precinct are set to be built and on the market by the end of next year.

“This is the leader of the National Party who says he takes the issue of housing affordability seriously, yet has no idea what's happening with the biggest affordable housing development in his own electorate,” Maryan Street said.

ENDS

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