Best article I’ve read for ages. I really don’t understand how Hooton makes money, he just spouts gibberish and I just don’t get why anyone goes, oh let’s throw lots of money at this guy whose main for form of argumentation are ad hominem attacks. But somehow he’s an overpaid Ferrari driving talking-head.

Be cool if this much effort went into pressuring the government into actually doing something on the runaway Auckland housing market.

Well that's positive, yes I tend to agree that the left is more 'comfortable' talking about the identity politics thing rather than economics. Further National knows it and exploits it.

True Labour made too easy for National to attack them on this

We can do something, but the left has given up on economics but that's cool. I'll retreat back into my little cave. But when the music stops, that's when we all going to really hurt.

Well the quoted text is more frustration than anything else, frustration with the market, frustration that National is doing nothing with the demand side of the market, frustration with the fact the left can't even attack National about this without being called racist.

saficticated

I don't think that's unreasonable assumption to be able to buy a house in Auckland without taking stupid levels of debt especially when the government intervene on the demand side of the market.

Sorry Stephen I'm not sure which of your posts you're referring too, but I agree absolutely about the Boomer generation benefiting most from the speculative bubble. I just find the situation incredibly frustrating regarding the housing market. To underscore the point and belying by own liberal sensibilities I care little of the ethnicity of foreign buyers, but I do care that National is doing nothing to regarding demand in the market or even accurately track the economic forces within the housing market. Frankly really frustrating that the left can't actually attack National on this without it becoming about race.

What we need is accurate data on foreign buyers, but we don't and we need to. I get you might be sensitive that this is asian bashing, but I don't care where or who the foreign buyers are, I just what to be able to buy a house in Auckland.

To be blunt and I suspect this the problem with the Left in NZ, is that they tend to a bunch of overly-sensitive PC white middle-class middle-aged soft pinkos who don't have the stones to ask hard questions, and in this case, about foreign ownership and its economic affects. You're all too terrified of being labelled racist - you are being played by the National Party and the real estate industry. They are playing you. And we are all losing.

If James Dann viewpoint is widespread throughout the Labour Party, then Labour has some significant problems. Yes David Cuncliffe didn't captivate the public, and said some stupid things, but David Cuncliffe alone didn't lose this election. I agree that Cuncliffe should step down, and not to run as Leader but If Mr Dann believes that the election result is solely due to Cuncliffe I believe he is deceiving himself.

The only thing that stopped my partner & I voting Greens, was Labour's Sovereign Wealth Fund "NZ Inc." & the CGT. Personally the Green's have better leadership and frankly better discipline, which is iconic considering they don't even have a 'whip'. The ill-discipline of the past few days makes disappointed I voted Labour, I seriously doubt Helen Clark would have tolerated this behaviour from her caucus. To be blunt if you can't lead yourselves - you certainly can't be expected to lead New Zealand.