1. Housing—Affordability and AvailabilityANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSHousing—Affordability and Availability1. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister for Building and Housing given the nearly 8000 shortfall in new houses in Auckland in the past year?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes I do have confidence in the Minister and I think the member really should take a good look at the facts. Statistics New Zealand reported this week that almost 30000 residential building consents were issued across New Zealand in the year to September. That is more than double what they were 5 years ago and momentum is increasing. Of these nearly 10000 consents were in Auckland which is almost three times the number just 5 years ago.Andrew Little: What impact has the $273000 increase in Mount Roskill house prices over the past 2 years had on young people there hoping to buy their own home?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Obviously for any first-home buyer a rise in house prices has some impact but of course the most substantial impact for those young people in Mount Roskill probably is firstly that they are paying interest rates that are at record lows. For someone borrowing $300000 let alone potentially a bigger mortgage in Auckland that saves them thousands and thousands and thousands—I think $16000 in the hand. Secondly as we can see today from the very strong employment growth in New Zealand the good people of Mount Roskill are probably finding it a lot easier to get a job. Thirdly I think the good people of Mount Roskill probably saw last week that this is a country that is No. 1 now in terms of ease of doing business. We have some of the best economic statistics in the OECD and they have probably got a little bounce in their step. So the member might want to talk New Zealand down but I do not think the people of Mount Roskill are.Andrew Little: Given Quotable Value says that the median Mount Roskill house has increased in value by $2300 each week for the last 2 years how are young people meant to save for a deposit for their first home?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: There are a number of ways of course that we do that. The first is with a strong employment market with very low interest rates—that certainly helps them. Secondly KiwiSaver HomeStart will without doubt help young people. Thirdly if you look at the comprehensive plan that we have got obviously what is happening there is that you are seeing an enormous construction boom now happening in Auckland. In fact if anything the reason the member did not ask a question on housing yesterday was that as he knows himself he is actually starting to run out of puff on it.Todd Barclay: What reports has he received confirming employment growth in the construction sector which is being driven by a building boom across much of New Zealand?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: What an outstanding question. As part of the latest household labour force survey Statistics New Zealand today reported that the number of people employed in the construction sector increased to a whopping 226000 in September. That is 21000 more construction jobs than 2 years ago and 55000 more than 5 years ago confirming that the building sector is indeed booming. These extra construction jobs contributed to New Zealand's overall unemployment rate falling to 4.9 percent in September the lowest level since December 2008. Across New Zealand there are a total of 35000 more jobs than just 3 months ago and 30000 fewer people unemployed. Over the past year 144000 more people are in work. What a day of great celebration for the Government.Andrew Little: Why under his Government are 80 percent of adults under 40 in Mount Roskill renters with just 20 percent owning their own home? What is there to celebrate about that?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not know the relative statistics as to what it was like 10 years ago but I suspect it has not actually changed dramatically in that period of time. But what is true is that if you look at Mt Roskill it is actually becoming—there is no question—a wealthier electorate there in Auckland. If you look at the massive construction boom that is now taking place in Auckland—as I said just a moment before; I will not bother repeating it for the House—there are a huge number of extra people who are working in the construction sector. We have interest rates that are at a 60-year low and we have very strong employment growth. The people of Mount Roskill and New Zealand are quite chipper about the outlook for New Zealand.Jacqui Dean: What measures has the Minister for Building and Housing overseen as part of the Government's comprehensive plan to increase the number of houses being built?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yet again another outstanding question. There have been many parts of the Government's comprehensive housing plan. We have set up the billion-dollar Housing Infrastructure Fund. We have created over 200 special housing areas for around 70000 new homes across the country. We have extended legislation to enable special housing areas to be created for another 3 years. We have expanded the KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme for first-home buyers. We signed off on a National Policy Statement on Urban Development and we are getting the Auckland Unitary Plan under way. The plan was so comprehensive that yesterday the Labour Party gave up on housing because it can see that the market is stabilising and that construction is booming in Auckland.Andrew Little: Talking of special housing areas how many of the exactly 18 affordable homes that have been built in Auckland special housing areas are in Mount Roskill? Would he be surprised to know that actually it is zero?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: If the member is asking a question that he says he knows the answer to he is really wasting the House's time asking the question. But the reason he is asking the question is that his numbers are always so dodgy and proven to be incorrect. It is not 18 houses. As of 2016 in Auckland 1300 homes have been completed in special housing areas 2200 building consents have been issued 2458 new sections have been created and 7170 new sections have been granted resource consents. I go back to what I said earlier: the reason the Labour Party did not ask yesterday is that it has given up—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon Dr Nick Smith: Is the Prime Minister aware that the Three Kings Quarry housing project would put 1300 new homes in the Mt Roskill electorate a large portion of which would be affordable and that the lead opponent of these homes over the past 5 years has been the former chair of the local board Mr Michael Wood the Labour candidate? [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is question time not a football match.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well it could be because we are kicking all the goals. I was aware of that actually. I was aware of that and you know I would not expect anything different because it is the same Michael Wood who does not believe in dodgy deals except he has done one with the Greens to get himself over the line—or at least he wants to but because his potential leader is so worried he is offering $1.4 billion worth of light rail which actually the former member for Mt Roskill does not even support. Mr SPEAKER: Order! We are moving into an area where there is no prime ministerial responsibility.Andrew Little: Getting back to matters of fact—Hon Members: Oh!Andrew Little: Oh it hurts it hurts! Why after 8 years of his Government has the homeownership rate fallen to its lowest level in 65 years?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: There are a number of factors as to why homeownership rates around the world have been falling but I think we can see by the construction numbers the consent numbers and the employment numbers that we have seen how much construction is now taking place. We can see that the elements of the plan are not only actually working in Auckland but I think starting to work around New Zealand and I am confident that the housing markets will stabilise over time and more supply will be there.Andrew Little: When is he going to stop dragging the chain and admit that Labour's plan to build 100000 affordable homes for first-home buyers is the only way to restore the Kiwi Dream?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I suggest that the people who believe that Labour is going to build 100000 homes go there on the light rail that they believe is going to be delivered to Mount Roskill in the next 3 years.