Abolish landlords

Some of the more militant landlords, led by the Wellington Landlords Association have threatened to bulldoze their houses rather than be forced to upgrade them under these new provisions. They claim that the profitability of their business is threatened. While this claim is farcical under present conditions of enormous capital gain, it points to the only real answer to the problems of tenants.

As long as profit is the main purpose behind the housing of people, no reform can really improve conditions. The government should react to the landlords' threat by moving immediately to nationalise all rented property, thereby recognising that, like health and education services, housing is the responsibility of the State and should be provided on an equal basis for all without any element of profit