June 14, 2018
Meth hysterics a National disgrace
Labour MP Willie Jackson says National should be held accountable for the hysteria over methamphetamine that led to hundreds of people being evicted from state homes and $100 million spent on unnecessary clean ups.
Housing Minister Phil Twyford has released terms of reference for Housing New Zealand to report on its meth contamination response, including the number of houses tested, the number of tenancies ended and costs tenants were forced to repay.
Mr Jackson, who in his previous role heading the Manukau Urban Maori Authority had first hand experience rehousing people evicted from state homes, says the narrative tenants were on drugs suited National’s agenda to sell off state housing.
He says ministers like Paula Bennett and Nick Smith refused to listen to warnings the testing standards were wrong.
"They’re all pleading ignorance now and saying 'we didn't know.' What a load of nonsense. They didn't want to know. It did not interest them what the real story was because they were able to capitalise on the hysteria at the time. The right wing agenda is this push that people in lower socioeconomic situations, they are all druggies and all this sort of stuff, so it suits the narrative," Mr Jackson says.
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