Cunliffe drives a publicity bus through the hole that is LVR.
The squeeze on low deposit loans is a Muldoonist answer that is going to hurt young middle New Zealand and their middle New Zealand parents.
David Cunliffe today used the issue to reach out to these voters, saying Labour wanted first home buyers and certain regions of the country exempt.
Cunliffe pointed to the “real person” he’d found for this stage managed policy statement, saying;
An ambitious, successful young person like Mongia should not be forced out of the market
In which he appealed to every 20-something voter, and their parents, who think they’re ambitious and successful, and thus should not to be denied choice. This is a great opportunity for Cunliffe to appear to switch roles with National, defending people against Government restrictions.
Yet, the position is pure Labour: he basically supports high-minded interference policies like LVR, but would attach exemptions and variations. The sort – like no gst on fruit and vegetables – that make policies a regulatory nightmare.
But no matter, National’s defence, and even enthusiasm, for the Reserve Bank policy, has provided Cunliffe with his first real hit.
The issue is very reminiscent of every one of Shearers stage-managed “connections” with real public. Only this time, Cunliffe has something concrete(ish) to say.