NZ First chose not to leak housing data, Peters says
Labour has out dog-whistled NZ First; Peters backs Twyford's call for a register of foreign buyers.
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Winston Peters says he had the leaked real estate data on Chinese buyers too, but chose not to release it because of the "absence of information."
"We had it as well but because we couldn't quantify it, because of the absence of information, we didn't go with it," the NZ First leader said on TV3's The Nation – brandishing a folder which he said contained the data in question. He refused to open the folder.
Labour's Phil Twyford has drawn flak after releasing Barfoot & Thompson stats showing that 40% of houses sold in Auckland over a three-month period went to people with Chinese-sounding surnames.
"The data does not quantify with exactitude what I'm talking about," Mr Peters said.
But despite his issues with the Barfoot data, the NZ First leader said it was fair, overall, to single out Chinese buyers.
"If you are facing stark facts of a preponderance of buying from one country because of unique economic circumstances and governmental circumstances in that country, of course it's fair to say it," he said.
"Anything else is a denial of fact."
Earlier on the same programme, Housing Minister Nick Smith told the programme the analysis was not credible and he did not believe "fair-minded" New Zealanders would make a judgement on the basis of people's names.
"You know the facts. We have 57,000 net immigration to New Zealand [last year]. Of that, about 42,000 are coming to Auckland. Look at that. 8000 consents and not homes – 8000 consents doesn’t even cut it for the immigrants, let alone all the rest of the young people in this country."
Budget 2015 included measures to make non-NZ residents register with the IRD and open a New Zealand bank account from October or face a fine of $25,000 to $50,000.
Earlier this week, Mr Twyford called for the government to go further and introduce a public, searchable register of foreign buyers.
Mr Peters also backs a register and says Mr Smith is "moronic" to deny the sense of introducing one.
"They [Labour] didn't single out just Chinese buyers. These figures shout that," Mr Peters said.
"And I've been saying for years now that there is a tsunami coming and it's already come, and you've got a massive explosion of demand happening in Auckland and you've got Mr Smith on this programme a little while ago dancing on a pinhead, making a fool of himself. Now, why don't we just own up to the fact that this is not good for the aspirations of New Zealanders who once were one of the highest property-owned democracies in the world, to not have a chance in their own country any more."
Labour, the Greens and NZ First all support a ban on foreign buyers buying existing homes. In Australia, a capital gains tax and foreign buyer restrictions have failed to cool the market, but the Abbott government has now jacked up fines for buyers who skirt the rules and Australians who help them.
Watch the full interview here.
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NZ First chose not to leak housing data, Peters says
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