Saying one thing and doing the other has always been National’s style, but this morning’s interview on RNZ makes it particularly clear:
House price rise increases inequality – English
The Finance Minister agrees rising house prices in Auckland are making inequality worse by shutting low and middle-income earners out of the property market.
Obviously.
Opposition parties say rising inequality is not only hurting those who cannot afford to buy a home, but is also bad for the economy.
Opposition parties and the IMF and the OECD (ref NZ) and a bunch of economists (and that’s not to mention the social costs).
Bill English said house prices were making life tougher for low and middle income earners in Auckland and said inequality was a problem.
Nice to have that on record.
“We’ve been concerned about that for some time, that there’s parts of Auckland where there’s been really no new supply of lower value houses that low and middle-income families can afford.”
“Concerned” – but not actually doing anything. Seven years and counting.
Prime Minister John Key is also worried about rising inequality, but said he did not believe home ownership was no longer possible for low-income families.
Prime Minister John Key will say anything, mean nothing, and is obviously living in la la land.
However, that’s both Key and English now on record as being “concerned” about rising inequality. So why are they acting to increase it? Weakening workers’ rights at every turn. Not acting to rein in the Auckland property bubble. Ruling out capital gains tax. Their latest tax changes saw an upturn in inequality measures (of course).
Talk is cheap. You’re not concerned about inequality unless you’re acting to address it.
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