The Government is putting the brakes on a housing project that would create jobs at a time when unemployment was soaring, Labour MP George Hawkins said in Parliament today.
However, the Government said the Hobsonville project Mr Hawkins referred to was repeatedly announced by Labour and never got under way until National got into government.
Mr Hawkins is angry the Government is scaling back a project in Hobsonville in West Auckland where affordable and state housing was being factored into 3000 new homes being built.
"Does the minister see the irony in this government congratulating itself for creating jobs when an estimated 1160 jobs have been lost so far thanks to this government's public sector cuts, and a huge opportunity to create more jobs was lost when this government put the brakes on the Hobsonville state housing project?"
Housing Minister Phil Heatley said he was actually moving the project ahead and there had been no progress under Labour.
"Cabinet papers show the Hobsonville development was passed by Cabinet in 2002, Mr (Mark) Gosche announced it at that time, I remember after that Steve Maharey announced it a few years later, I believe that Chris Carter announced it after that and then Maryan Street," he said.
"When I became housing minister there were no consents for Hobsonville. I found out that earthworks hadn't begun yet and not a single house was being built."
Mr Heatley said consents had now been issued and work was ready to start.
Work would be done precinct by precinct rather than starting several at once. The first precinct would not include state houses but would be made up of private houses and those built under National's affordable housing Gateway programme.
Under the programme the Crown allows private houses to be built on its land so new home buyers only have to pay for the building. In future the homeowner can buy the land.
He said the Government's infrastructure programme was providing more work.
