MR. SEMPLE DOUBTS THE HOUSING POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 September 1950, Page 6

MR. SEMPLE DOUBTS THE HOUSING POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT

PARLIAMENT BLDGS, Last Night (PA).—The former Minister of Works (Mr. Semple), speaking in the debate on the Budget, in the House of Representatives tonight, defended the f Labour Party’s housing policy and attacked that of the National Party. Mr. Semple said that when the present Government took office there were more than 4000 contracts let for State houses with the building organisation in full swing. The new Government was seeking to put a stranglehold as rapidly as possible on the organisation for building new State houses. Mr. Semple said he had had letters from all over New Zealand telling of instructions w’hich had been received locally for cessation of State house-building after the present contracts were finished. A recent letter from Foxton informed him that a builder had concrete foundations ready for 20 houses when word was received to do no more w’ork on the job. This, despite the fact that more than 100 persons working in Foxton had to travel to Palmerston North every day for lack of accommodation in the town where they worked. Mr. Semple asked the Government < to state how many new contracts it . had let for State houses since it took ' office. The Government claimed more • houses would be built this year than ever before, but surely it took no credit for the more than 4000 houses ■ under way when it took office. To do - that would be an exhibition of political cannibalism. “In my opinion the Government is determined to smash the organisation for building State houses,” said Mr. Semple. “That is not new or surprising. The National Party in Opposition was defintely opposed to the Labour Government’s housing policy.” The National Party had said State housing was a liability, but would they call 33,000 modern homes built for the State a liability?