"Why aren’t politicians taking more action on the housing affordability crisis? The answer might lie in the latest 'Register of Pecuniary Interests'."

"Why aren’t politicians taking more action on the housing affordability crisis? The answer might lie in the latest 'Register of Pecuniary Interests.' This register contains details of the various financial interests of parliamentarians. It shows that politicians own real estate in significant numbers....[amidst] a relatively narrow spectrum of socio-economic interests ...
    "Collectively, [MPs] owns 261 houses, or 2.2 properties each.... In terms of Cabinet ministers, they own 60 houses, meaning on average, they have a stake in 3 houses each. ...
    "Given that New Zealand MPs are so heavily invested in property, it raises questions about whether this impacts their willingness to deal with the housing affordability crisis. Owning so many houses means MPs have a vested interest in preventing the housing market from slowing growth or even having house prices drop. They are personally advantaged by retaining the status quo.
    "[Economist Shamubeel] Eaqub says it’s a broader vested interests problem: 'It’s not just that the MPs have property and investment property and hence there is a vested interest – it’s that people who vote for them and engage with them are similar....'
    "More analysis and attention needs to be put into this area, as MPs continue to be too divorced from the reality of the housing crisis."

~ Bryce Edwards from his post 'MPs own 2.2 houses on average'