David Cunliffe is backing the party's choice of a couple used as a case study for Labour's housing policy, after the pair conceded they weren't actually looking to buy.
The Labour party leader and the party's housing spokesman Phil Twyford confirmed Labour's KiwiBuild policy at a housing development in Hobsonville yesterday with a young couple who Mr Cunliffe said would benefit from the policy.
Labour's KiwiBuild policy would build 100,000 new, affordable homes over 10 years and sell them at cost to first home buyers, Mr Cunliffe said. Homes in Auckland would cost as little as $360,000.
Mr Cunliffe introduced Jordy Leigh, 20, and Harrison Smith, 22, as "a young couple who make about $75,000 a year".
"They've looked at buying a home, but they could never afford one. Just to get a 20 per cent deposit on one of the homes around here would mean saving $100,000.
- by Brendan Manning
"They took another look when National announced its deposit subsidy policy, but because National failed to mention that the repayments on a mortgage are simply unaffordable, they are now looking again," he said.
Ms Leigh said they were currently living with her parents and although they had "had a look at houses in the Auckland area" she conceded they weren't actively in the market to buy.
"We haven't actively been looking for a home to buy in the near future - that's definitely not our goal - our goal is to have a home in a few years. We're trying to start a family."
Mr Cunliffe later stood by the suitability of the couple, describing them as "perfect".
"They are a genuine couple who are being locked out of the market by high deposit rates."
