Twyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:1327. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū)to the Minister responsible for HNZC: When did he last discuss the sale of state housing stock with Cabinet or a Cabinet Committee?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister responsible for HNZC):I have had many discussions about this issue probably most recently I suspect this morning maybe but always in the context of doing a better job for tenants who are often stuck for long periods in housing dependency and doing a better job of looking after taxpayers’ assets of which State housing constitutes $18 billion worth. With that much asset value plus the subsidies we can do a better job for people in serious housing need than has traditionally been the case.Phil Twyford: Why did his Cabinet agree this week to move ahead with the sale of State houses?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The member will just have to wait and see about that. But he is going to have trouble arguing that decisions made 60 years ago about where houses should be and what size they should be are decisions that we must stick with in 2015. Decisions made in the 1950s should not determine how the needs of today’s tenants are met. I know that is Labour’s position. Everything was perfect in the 1950s. But on “Planet Earth” things have changed a bit.Phil Twyford: In light of that confirmation of the decision to sell off State houses how long does he expect Housing New Zealand to remain the main provider of social housing?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think they will remain the main provider of social housing for a long time. But they will certainly have to alter the houses that they have because the needs of tenants do not align with the decisions made by Peter Fraser or Sid Holland. I think they had great foresight—Hon Paula Bennett: Or Annette King.Hon BILL ENGLISH: —or Annette King—but actually they could not predict the needs of tenants today.Hon Annette King: A very good decision maker.Rt Hon John Key: You’ve outlasted the other two.Hon BILL ENGLISH: And you have outlasted the other two. We are willing to change the nature of our housing to meet the needs of our tenants.Phil Twyford: In light of his answer that Housing New Zealand would be the dominant provider for a long time how does he reconcile that answer with the housing Minister’s letter to Housing New Zealand’s board saying: “In the future we envision Housing New Zealand will be one of a range of social housing providers” and they would be the main provider of social housing only in the short to medium term?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am not exactly sure which letter the member is referring to but Housing New Zealand is one of the housing providers now. There are 23 registered community housing providers and the number is growing by the week. To the extent that they can better meet the needs of people with serious housing need then we will do business with them. It is Labour’s policy that even if they can do better they are the wrong people so tenants have to stay in garages and overcrowded houses. We do not think that is good enough.Phil Twyford: I seek the leave of the House to table two letters from the Minister of Housing to the board of Housing New Zealand setting out the expectations—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table those two particular letters. Is there any objection? [Interruption] Order! I am putting the leave for the member. They do not need to be described further. Leave is sought to table those two particular letters from the Minister to Housing New Zealand. Is there any objection to them being tabled? There appears to be none. They can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.Phil Twyford: Why was he not straight with the public before the election about his plans for a State house sell-off given that his housing Minister had already told Housing New Zealand to begin work on the sell-off saying: “We expect that as a result Housing New Zealand will likely own a significantly smaller number of houses in 10 years’ time.”?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Actually this has been talked about for I think 3 years. In fact I can recall the whole of Parliament debating the relevant legislation that set up the Ministry of Social Development as a purchaser as well as publishing a series of reports going right back to 2010. If the member did not know about it that is not our fault. Our policy was clear before the election and the Government is moving to do a better job of meeting the needs of people who have serious housing need. In our view that is pretty urgent.Phil Twyford: Why is he selling off State houses on the open market where they can be bought by property developers and speculators given that these homes have provided so many New Zealanders including the Prime Minister with a decent start in life?Hon BILL ENGLISH: One of the reasons is that there are New Zealanders being born today who want a decent start. They want a better start than being forced into a State house the wrong size in the wrong place and in poor condition. That is why—because we can get a better deal for those New Zealanders who need a good start in life today.