Smith Nick: General DebateText is subject to correctionSmith Nick: General Debate[Sitting date: 29 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:2977. Text is subject to correction.]Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing):Mr Speaker—Mr SPEAKER: On this occasion the Hon Dr Nick Smith can make his contribution to the general debate.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Can I firstly at least acknowledge that the Green Party wanted to talk about a serious issue in this general debate—the issue of climate change. It would have been good if the member had acknowledged the huge progress our Government has made in increasing the amount of renewable energy where under the previous Government with the support of the Green Party it went down and under our Government it has consistently gone up or acknowledged the huge work that has gone into the greenhouse gas research with results out yesterday showing very promising results around the capacity to be able to produce food without increased emissions. But this afternoon in this debate I really do have to express disappointment that when you have got issues around jobs when you have got issues around housing and when you have got issues around health and education Labour Party members want to talk about ponytails. Does that not expose how disconnected they are from the issues that matter to New Zealand that they want to talk about such sideshows?I actually know why because if you look at the issues that matter—economic growth New Zealand growing at 3.5 percent cost of living going up at the slowest rate in 20 years 80000 new jobs in the last year kids doing better than ever at school with the best ever National Certificate of Educational Achievement results a health sector that is delivering more operations and better health care—I can see why we have an Opposition that wants to focus on sideshows. But let me talk—Tracey Martin: Tell us what you think of that.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Well let me just refer to New Zealand First. It was interesting to reflect on my last contribution in the general debate and I would like Tracey Martin to listen. I said this: “If Mr Peters succeeds in Northland then—surprise surprise—we will elect a new member of Parliament from Invercargill Ria Bond.” And what is Tracey Martin recorded as saying in Hansard? She said that is a lie; that is untrue. So I say to Ria Bond our new member of Parliament that you got here on false pretences. New Zealand First told the people of Northland that she would not be coming to this Parliament and I think that speaks volumes about the integrity of New Zealand First.I want to talk about housing because 3 years ago we were building 14000 houses a year and some members may recall that the Labour Opposition members at the time said: “We have got this bold new plan. We are going to build 10000 per year.” Although they conditioned it. They said: “We reckon if we went as fast as we possibly could we’d do 600 in the first year.” In the second year they said they thought they would do 3000. In the third year they said they would do 8000. Well let us compare the record. By getting the rules to work in the private sector we have actually achieved a lot more than what even Labour promised. Let me share the numbers with the House. In 2011 13000 houses were built. In 2012 17000 houses were built. In 2013 we had 21000 houses built and the latest figures show nearly 25000 houses being built per year and that is good news.I have spent the last fortnight getting around public meetings with colleagues and talking to people about housing and about our new HomeStart scheme. The level of enthusiasm is incredibly encouraging not just from those young homeowners but also from the building sector which is keen to use this new scheme to enable us to build more homes that are more affordable. This sums it up. We know that housing is an issue. The difference is that we are focused on actually delivering results: more houses and more support for New Zealanders to be able to pull together a deposit. Just as with education just as with health just as with jobs and just as with infrastructure this is a Government that is delivering on the issues that actually matter.