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Since the first labour Government in 1935, Labour has hold Government five times in New Zealand's history, with its most recent term being in 2008. The Labour party which is more a socially progressive party, is very left wing ends of the spectrum in terms of welfare. Although the Labour government brought about state housing as we know it today, the first form of state provision for housing in New Zealand was the Workers Dwelling act in 1905. With the act passed to prevent the slum-like conditions workers were living in, the Liberal Government of the time in New Zealand build several dozen houses in Petone. Although the Government was addressing the poor living conditions, the houses geographic location and rent costs were to high causing the programme to conclude. It wasn't until the first New Zealand Labour led Government was elected in 1935, that the poor living conditions were once more addressed. With the Great Depression and World War 11 in 1930's, leaving the living conditions in New Zealand at an all time low. Labour wasting no time, re launched an adapting Richard Seddon's State Housing scheme. Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage, leader of the Labour party, like Seddon, wanted to provide homes for working-class people living in poor living conditions. Savages hoped by provide new suburban homes for those who were living in un-kept inner-city districts it would encourage local industry and provide work for those left jobless by the Great Depression. The Labour government then commenced the largest housing construction scheme in the countries history, "securing hundreds of hectares of suburban land across New Zealand, upon which private builders erected thousands of high-quality modern state houses." (The first state house, 2012). The labour Government announced their goal to build 5,000 state houses at a cost of $3 million due to the institutional framework they had put in place, with help of the reserve bank.
