Those who cannot remember the past are condemmed to repeat it.The present National led government should be aware of this saying.

The National led government of Jim Bolger brought in the 1993 Housing Reform package.Market rents for state house tenants and the accommodation supplement,a subsidy to private landlords,now costing the New Zealand taxpayer $1.2 billion every year and increasing.

The reform,s also introduced a programme called "Tenants right to buy".The government sold 13,000 plus states homes,but only 8% of tenants were in a position to purchase their home,92%were sold to private landlords and on average at $16,000 less than sitting tenants.

These reform,s ended the "first home ownership " policies that had served New Zealand well over the years.New Zealand had one of the highest home ownership rates in the western world at the time.State Advances,Housing Corp. Loans along with ability to captalise on benefits were wiped by the stroke of the minister,s pen [John Luxton].

Fast forward to 2015 to the Key National led government,the only difference being that it is now mission impossible for a poor family to obtain a state home.The government has raised the bar,for many poor families seeking affordable housing this explains the record small numbers on the waiting lists around the country.

The National Party,s dislike of state housing is embedded in its DNA,their housing policies have created the housing poverty we see today,its market failure by anyones standard.If the missing million voters had voted it may have been a different outcome for the future of their children and grand children.