Labour defends release of housing data

The political row about the impact of offshore Chinese investors on Auckland's overheated housing market was raised with Finance Minister Bill English during his recent trip to China. The latest debate stems from Labour's controversial release of data showing 40 per cent of houses sold in Auckland over a three-month period went to people with Chinese surnames. Mr Little said he doesn't think Labour is damaging New Zealand's reputation. "Information is information and we thought very carefully before we released it, but the information told a story that was in direct contradiction to what the government has been saying for the last couple of years, which is the impact of non-resident foreign buyers on the Auckland housing market is barely noticeable," he said. Credit: NZN Video