The Labour Party held their annual conference over the weekend. More than 500 members attended. A member is someone who pays a membership fee to belong to the Labour Party. This includes the 34 Labour Members of Parliament.
The Leader of the Opposition, David Shearer, made a long speech about what he will do if he becomes Prime Minister in the 2014 elections. One promise was to find the money to build 100,000 houses in 10 years. These houses would be for first-home buyers and would not be too expensive. This plan would help the economy, give employment to 2,000 people and help more people to buy their own homes.
He also said that a Labour government would force landlords to improve the houses that they rent out. All rental homes would have good insulation and heating so that families did not live in cold, mouldy houses.
Some Labour Party members were worried that David Shearer was not a strong leader. However, most members at the conference were very pleased with this speech.
Vocabulary
• annual – every year
• fee – money you have to pay
• insulation – material under the floor, in the walls and ceilings to keep the heat inside the house; often made of fibreglass or wool
• mould – a fungus which grows on the walls and ceiling in damp houses; often black
Does anyone know how to download the audio onto another computer?