Labour's housing spokesman Phil Twyford spoke in Tauranga last night about what his party would do to fix New Zealand's housing crisis.
He did not even have a chance to finish his speech at the Arataki Community Centre before the questions started coming at him - what will you do for disabled home seekers? About heating costs? To encourage more intensive housing?
Former social worker Susan Hodkinson, of Mount Maunganui, wanted to see the people who look into whether tenants are upholding tenancy agreements also looking into whether landlords are providing fit and proper homes.
Mr Twyford said Labour would make it illegal for landlords to rent out cold, damp housing.
There would be standards for warm, dry homes and landlords would have to sign tenancy agreements that say the house meets those standards.
Breaches would result in $3000 fines, plus damages and orders to fix the problems.
He told the crowd they would create an investigations team in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to randomly audit rental homes.