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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 1. 28th February 1973

Easy Victims

Easy Victims

Maoris and Islanders are easy victims for unscrupulous landlords. They are charged huge rents and often have little knowledge of their legal rights. One family in Newtown (Samoans who have been in NZ six months) rented a three bedroom unfurnished house for $38 Per week. They signed a three page lease that included two clauses giving the landlord power to throw them out after 3 days if they had anything to do with the rent strike or any person associated with it, and power to throw them out within seven days if they got one day behind in the rent. This clause also gave the right to seize their belongings. This family has little English, no knowledge of the law and didn't understand what they were signing. The landlord extorted from them $174 before they could move in. They were $60 short for the bond so they are paying it off at $10 a week.

Is this what Kirk meant when he said on election night "We will look after the little people"?

The "little people" are getting very angry, Mr Kirk.