Carter John: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Remedies) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Carter John: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Remedies) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:641;Page:11101] 
JOHN CARTER (National—Northland) 
: 
 I want to follow my colleagues John Hayes and Nick Smith and pick up on a couple of the points that my colleague Nick Smith made. He made a very good address to the Committee on the fact that we are splitting this bill. He brought to the Committee’s attention the fact that he had recently been to the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand where he had addressed them and been welcomed as a hero and a saviour. I can understand that and this Minister needs to understand that it was not just because he is Nick that he was applauded and welcomed; it was because of his association with the National Party as well as his being a very good member and individual himself. The Building Officials Institute of New Zealand is looking for someone to get it out of the muddle it is in. Nick Smith referred to that and brought it to the attention of the Committee—as we should when we are debating this bill and the splitting thereof. 
But there is another issue we need to discuss which we have not mentioned enough tonight. We have talked about the problem of the compliance costs this legislation is putting on local government. We have talked about the worries and failures there are in local government and the fact that it cannot now meet the requirements that this Minister and his Department of Building and Housing are putting on it. But I want to talk about two other things—firstly who is actually paying. The terrible cost that has been put on homeowners and the building industry in New Zealand is just not acceptable; it is seriously not acceptable. We are seeing price increases because of the incompetence of this Minister and his department. We have reached the stage now where the rules regulations and compliance costs that will be put in place as a consequence of passing this bill will mean extra increases in costs to the homeowner. 
Compliance has become so difficult that it is nigh on impossible for a layperson now to fill out a building application form. That is what we are putting in place with the splitting of this bill and that is why I bring it to the attention of the Committee. We need to understand as we pass this bill and its two parts that one of the things that will happen is that people will find they have to employ a person to fill out their building permits. Well that is unbelievable. A building permit application is not actually a difficult thing or it was not until this Minister and his department became in charge. Under the previous legislation it used to be that a person would fill out his or her name and address put in the details of the house and a bit of the description of the property etc. say who the builder was describe what style of house it was attach some plans and away that person could go. We could actually do it for ourselves pretty much. 
Hon David Carter 
: Do a Shane Jones now. 
JOHN CARTER 
: Well Shane Jones now would not be able to fill out the building application form. I do not know whether he could before but he certainly could not now. Under this legislation that we are going to be passing as a consequence of splitting this bill people like Shane Jones will have to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to employ somebody just to fill out a building application. 
Hon David Carter 
: He can afford to. 
JOHN CARTER 
: He may be able to afford to but many people in New Zealand cannot. This Government is putting huge compliance costs and unnecessary expense on to new homeowners and people in New Zealand and it is just not acceptable. 
On top of that the Government is causing cost to local government which means that rates are having to increase as a consequence of this incompetent Minister and his incompetent department. So the people who have to fill out these forms and pay huge money to apply for a building permit are paying twice. They are paying once through the compliance cost of having to hire somebody to fill out their applications get the plans drawn and get all the necessary support documents—the multitude of rules and regulations they have to comply with—and on top of that they have to pay through their rates as well. I say that that is just not acceptable. 
In this country we used to be able to get on build our own homes and fill in our own forms. We would get somebody who was competent to build our homes and a building inspector would come along and support the application. But under the legislation we are discussing tonight and the splitting of the bill into two if members of this Committee go back and look at what it means they will see that all that disappears. It means that instead of our having a simple system for the asset that for most people is about putting a huge chunk of their life into and one that gives security and certainty that it will be there for them in 10 15 20 and 40 years under this legislation we are passing tonight there is no guarantee of that at all. In fact the sad thing is that many people will end up being not just disappointed and not just distressed but being made if not bankrupt then certainly severely disadvantaged financially as a consequence of this legislation being passed tonight. 
 You know in all the time we have been debating this matter which is since about 8 o’clock tonight in this Committee the Minister has arrogantly sat there not even bothering apart from reading some papers to take one call. He has not bothered to stand up even once and defend any of the criticism—justifiable criticism—that has been made by colleagues who have taken part in this debate. The people of New Zealand the struggling new homeowners who have to go through this tirade of rules and regulations and form filling have to employ people at huge cost to do it before they even get started to make sure they comply with the rules and regulations that have been put out by this incompetent Minister and his incompetent department. They have to spend I am told up to $90000 to comply with rules and regulations—compliance costs fees lawyers' fees—before they can start to build. That is just to comply—$90000! That sounds outrageous. It is absolutely outrageous. It was not that long ago that one could just about build a house for that sort of money. Now people have to pay that just get started let alone buy the section and start buying the materials for the house. And this Minister sits there and says: “Well that’s OK. It’s all OK.” The sad fact is that it is not. 
Hon David Carter 
: Has he got a ministerial house? 
JOHN CARTER 
: Yes he has a ministerial house. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh he is saying he does not have a ministerial house. I can understand that; it is probably leaky and he would not want to be in it. He probably has a tent somewhere. 
But the fact is that with the passing of this bill there will be no certainty for our homeowners no guarantee for our building industry and no certainty for local government. The only people who are certain are the people who are employed by this Minister and by the Department of Building and Housing knowing that they have a secure job paid for by the taxpayer and that they can carry on with these building compliances and rules and regulations that are achieving nothing. They are actually making the problem worse. 
I only wish there was some way we could get this Minister and his department to understand that we are not going forward at all. We are actually going backwards and it can be guaranteed that it will not be long before we have another bill of this nature before this House that no doubt will have to be split and we will have to suspend the Standing Orders again and leave the whole House aside so we can try to fix up the mess this Minister is making tonight. 
This Opposition has debated the matter well and truly; so it should. We want to put what has happened on record—and we have done that. I think when people go back and check  
Hansard 
 they will find that the people who knew what sort of a mess we were getting this country into—what sort of a problem we are creating for homeowners what sort of a problem we are creating for the building industry and what sort of a problem we are creating for local government—will be on record because this country’s loyal Opposition at least stands up for reality. At least we are prepared to say it as it is. 
This Minister is not even competent enough to stand and defend his rules and regulations. I say to him that that is disgraceful. He should be ashamed. As he gets into his LTD and drives off to his taxpayer-funded house wherever it might be and whatever it is at least he knows he will be warm and dry. But the people who have to try to comply with these rules and regulations have no certainty at all. This House should be guaranteeing people’s homes.