Winston Peters attacks Auckland land bankers

The Dirty Politics saga is a new low in politics and Judith Collins should go, Winston Peters said on TVNZ's Q+A this morning.

“I think it's irreparable, unless she finds God or something people have no reason to believe her in the future, but I think it's all over now," the NZ First leader said.

“Anyone in the Prime Minister's situation who is prepared to keep Judith Collins on is actually first of all letting the whole of his caucus down, the whole party down, and I think the country – the country right now would be 80% for her to go.”

New attack on foreign buyers
Separately, at a meeting in Auckland today Mr Peters delivered a fresh attack on foreign buyers, this time focussing on alleged land-banking in the Auckland housing market.

The NZ First leader said developers have told him that foreign buyers are buying up land around the outskirts of Auckland, just waiting for the housing demand to come to them.

He spoke of a lifestyle sub-division on the outskirts of Auckland where all 22 lots have been pre-sold to Asian buyers for exactly $500,000 each.

"All 22 lots sold to overseas buyers; Kiwi buyers did not even get to see the land promoted because it was not promoted in this country," he said.

Mr Peters said it was unheard of for sections to all sell for the same exact amount.

It looked "seriously fishy" and could be tax and price-declaration evasion, he claimed.

"What it points to is money laundering, GST avoidance and cash top-ups," he said."They will not be selling it in total for $500,000; there will be behind the scenes and under the table payments," he alleged.

He called on Inland Revenue to investigate.

Foreign investors had tax advantages not available to New Zealand home buyers and the interest rates they received were a fraction of those charged here, Mr Peters said.

NZ First, Labour and the Greens have promised to restrict foreign home buyers.

Conservative leader Colin Craig has said he favours compulsory acquisition of property held by land bankers around Auckland if they sit on the land without developing it.