An Auckland Labour MP has defended housing claims made in a flyer he released after it was complained about to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The complaint was made about Northcote MP Shanan Halbert's election campaign flyer that celebrates “1700 new warm, dry homes as part of the Northcote Development”.
Those new homes aren’t due to be completed until 2026.
A complaint was about the campaign advertisement on September 4.
The ASA has released its decision and said "no further action" was required as the issue did not "reach the threshold to breach the relevant Advertising Standards Authority Codes".
The flyer is a mix of Labour policies that they plan on implementing should they win the election and things they've already done.
According to Stuff, 425 homes have been built in Northcote since Labour was elected in 2017, but 317 (314 state houses) have been knocked down or moved.
Currently, there are 682 homes under construction, with 611 yet to commence.
This means there has been a gain of 1402 new houses, compared to 1700 on the flyer.
In a statement to 1News, Halbert defended the flyer. He said it “clearly talks about things I've delivered as an MP and things I am asking the people of Northcote to continue supporting me as their strong local voice in Parliament so I can help deliver”.
“Anyone from our community can see first-hand the progress that is being made in the Northcote Housing Development.
“Just last week, we opened another set of public homes. This is alongside upgrading our schools, water infrastructure and plans to actually tackle local congestion.”
He blamed the complaint on the National Party’s “cheap attempts at devaluing the investment I’ve secured for my community”.
“Instead of playing dirty, they should actually come up with a plan for Northcote - because, at the moment, they don't have one.”
“I stand by the flyer,” he said. “I'm proud of my track record, the investment in Northcote and my positive plans for our area. I’m happy to show you around.”
In 2020, Labour pulled flyers making claims about housing In Northcote after a complaint to the ASA.
At the time, Labour acknowledged the error and apologised.
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