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I see that yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister blamed even more things on the previous government.
Here’s the thing about this approach. It’s relevant when you’re literally in office, or in your first term, but these guys are in their second term. When will they start to take responsibility?
Mental Health? The fault of previous governments. Underpaid nurses? The fault of previous governments. Housing? The fault of previous governments.
Yesterday’s latest QV figures show house prices are still up and up a lot from last year.
This government has acted, but the question remains; does it work? Well not yet.
Although I note that they indicate trends in the right direction.
But in the same breath, Robertson is quick to blame previous governments.
If you went this route, you could go back to all governments, because in reality no government has fixed housing. And Grant Robertson at least acknowledges this by saying that few houses have been built in the past 10 to 15 years, which encompasses both Labor and National governments.
And this is where his new post of minister responsible for delivery comes in, he must deliver.
By blaming previous governments and claiming that your government is now going to fix the problem, you have set yourself a huge goal and a great expectation.
Labor claim to be doing more for housing in terms of house building, at a faster rate than any other government since the 1970s.
They also introduced new tax changes, brought the ban on foreign buyers, all of these adjustments in the hope of changing the dial on housing significantly.
So if the numbers aren’t changing yet, but the trend is there, when do we start measuring progress?
And who can take the credit for it?
Is housing in reality purely cyclical? Is it bigger than governments and their adjustments? is it bigger than political rhetoric and fiscal fiddles? Or can a government concretely chart a new path for housing?
I totally agree, if it’s possible and doable, who isn’t?
But those at the helm need to get on with it, face the reality of the here and now, not cast shadows or blame previous governments. They need to put in place tangible evidence and concrete, quick numbers, not vaguely shake up trend forecasts.
To truly own a solution, you must first own the problem.
It is only by acknowledging their own government’s mistakes in housing that they can get to the bottom of the real solutions.
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