Mana News editor Joe Trinder

With the National government set to sell off 8000 state houses an important meeting hosted by the Tamaki Housing group yesterday in the former RSA in Panmure Auckland . The meeting was an invitation specifically to political leaders of every party to attend the following leaders were invited Te Uuroa Flavell, Metiria Turei, Andrew Little, John Key and Hone Harawira. Unfortunately the only  leader that attended and  committed to State housing was Mana leader Hone Harawira.

An important decision was made with keen interest to roll this out Nationally with delegates from every part of the country as part of a National organisation that collects information on all State housing tenants for a National register. Each state housing tenant would be sent emergency contact details when the 90 day eviction notice arrives the victim would have a support team immediately. The new National state housing group that is still be officially named will soon have a website and a helpline with a support network of delegates.

I spoke to Mana Leader Hone Harawira as an objective he thinks Mana can be the vehicle to save our state houses.

“Mana is the only organisation that can do this Nationally” Hone Harawira

Housing is going to be the biggest issue over the next few years and Housing minister Nick Smith has done nothing to lower housing prices by braking down the RMA for heavy industry and only consulting property developers who sell their property’s to speculators, at prices first home buyers could never afford. The most insidious attack against the New Zealand public is the sale of 8000 state houses instead of offering current tenants a rent to own scheme.

The challenge for Mana branches and rohe across Aotearoa is to champion the fight against the sale of our State houses. A big thanks to the Mana members that could attend Tuta Ngarimu, Makelesi Ngata, Yvonne Dainty, Ben Barton, John Minto, Pat O’dea and Ariana Paretutanganui Tamati and also the Tamaki housing group for hosting the convention.