Door knocking Labour's 'Chinese-sounding' names

(3 News)
(3 News)

Some of the people with Chinese-sounding names used by Labour to attack offshore buyers have been visited by 3 News.

One of the houses used by the party to prove foreign investors are buying up big time in Auckland is owned by Jing Liu.

Her last name is Chinese, but she has lived in New Zealand for 16 years – she is a citizen, a Kiwi.

"We live here, we work here, and we give our contribution to this country," she says.

"I think we should treat everyone fair."

Labour believes three-quarters of Chinese buying in Auckland do not actually live in the country; a conclusion drawn after it analysed Chinese-sounding surnames.

"[It is] a little bit unfair [to] judge by the surname actually," says Ms Liu.

Three months of Barfoot & Thompson's data was leaked to Labour over the weekend.

3 News has taken the agency's sales from that period and found some of the homeowners Labour categorised as Chinese based on their surnames.

Of the 10 homes visited:

Lisa Tng wants to start a family in Auckland.

She is applying for residency and plans to become a citizen like her sister, and like Labour she is worried about buyers offshore pushing up houses prices.

"The price [keeps] growing, increasing," she says. "That's why I'm concerned and [what I am] worried about."

Hali Zhou was on Labour's Chinese surname list. Her New Zealand husband moved here from Shanghai when he was 13.

They chose Auckland because they believe it is the best place to raise their daughter.

"I think it's a very good country for attracting people from all over the world and it's a very kind country," she says.

3 News