Cameron Luxton
About This Episode
In this Yarns with Andy episode, part of our Build Vote series for the 7 November election, Andy Alagappan sits down with Cameron Luxton, ACT MP, builder, and the only Licensed Building Practitioner in Parliament. It is a straight, on-record yarn about why it costs so much to build in New Zealand, why hundreds of construction firms went under, and what it would take to break the industry's stop-start cycle.
Luxton argues the real problem is cost and red tape: risk-averse councils, a liability system that quietly turns ratepayers into underwriters, and too many rules that no longer stack up. He makes the case for recognising overseas building products, moving from joint-and-several to proportional liability, replacing the RMA with a system built on property rights, and a smaller, more accountable government. He also covers the 786 construction firms lost in a year, over-engineering and the $5 billion City Rail Link, what happens when a council restricts your land, and the question he says every voter should put to their candidate.
Yarns with Andy is non-partisan and does not advocate for any party.
