6. Question No. 6—Housing (Public Housing)CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)Question No. 6—Housing (Public Housing)6. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): What was the national weekly median rent in October 2017 and what is the current national weekly median rent according to MBIE rental bond data?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): And can I congratulate the member on—welcome to housing. There are a range of measures used to analyse rent prices of which Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) rental bond data is one. The Government uses the Stats New Zealand rental price index which shows that from October 2017 to December 2021 rents rose 16.4 percent. To put this in context we saw the same 16.4 percent increase between August 2013 and October 2017. According to MBIE tenancy bond data the national weekly median rent was $400 in October 2017 and $550 in January 2022. I would note that officials and commentators have warned that the MBIE data is often significantly revised often downwards. That is due to bonds for more expensive properties being lodged earlier and lower bonds being lodged later. This can result in exaggerated rent increase data for the most recent months. This Government recognises that the rental market is under pressure right now and we will continue to support renters and that is why we have limited rent increases to once a year banned rental bidding and increased the wages and benefits for low and middle income earners.Chris Bishop: Is she aware that rent has increased by $150 per week since the Government came into office and why does rent affordability continue to decline under this Government?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I do accept is there are some people who are doing it tough right now but we have made a number of changes to support our renters during this time. A married couple for example receiving jobseeker support now receives $88 more per week in their weekly benefit after tax compared to March 2020. The average rent reported by couples renting and receiving the accommodation supplement increased by $38 per week for the same period. An adult working a 40-hour week on the minimum wage saw their income increase by almost $75 per week after tax between March 2020 and December 2021.Chris Bishop: Point of order. It was an interesting answer but it didn't go anywhere near addressing the question as to why rent affordability continues to decline. It's just a bunch of stuff about welfare benefits.Hon Grant Robertson: Speaking to the point of order there were two questions and in actual fact the member had actually answered the first of those in her primary answer.Hon Dr Megan Woods: Supplementary.SPEAKER: No we'll see if Mr Bishop wants another supplementary first. I haven't—I mean I don't think I need to rule on it. I'm sorry Mr Bishop. I'm sure you are aware that when you ask a two-legged supplementary that the obligation on the Minister is to only answer one of them. Chris Bishop: She could have addressed both of them but she didn't. SPEAKER: Sorry—order! The member doesn't comment on my rulings. No he's not in the school debating team anymore; he's in the House of Representatives.Chris Bishop: What is her response to statistics which show the weekly median rent for three- to four-bedroom properties across New Zealand saw the biggest annual increase of 8 percent to $650 a week last year and why does the average rental house continue to become more unaffordable under this Government?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I can say is that there is no doubt that there are people who are doing it tough right now. The response from this Government has been from the time we came to Government to increase the incomes of low and middle income earners to cushion themselves from just the kinds of shocks that we are seeing right now. Not only that this Government responds to issues that come up by ensuring that we have wages that keep pace with the cost of living that we are in a particular time right now due to the impacts of what's happening in the Ukraine. And this Government responds by ensuring that families can have more of their income to put to those things because we reduce the cost to them in terms of petrol in terms of payments to schools. We have as a Government made sure that families have got more in their pockets to cushion them against the times that come up such as this one.Hon Dr Megan Woods: Is the member aware that the four-year increase since we came into Government between 2017 and 2021 of 16.4 percent in rents is exactly the same as the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 when the National Party were in Government?Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister has no responsibility for the 2013 to 2016 period.SPEAKER: I've heard members from that side regularly ask for comparatives between the period that the current Government's responsible for and the previous one. And that is entirely in line with that. And I just want to say I think the member actually knows that. He is getting to the point of going from being disorderly to highly disorderly. Supplementary the Hon Poto Williams. Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Yes I am aware. And as I answered in the primary question I am aware of that. But what I do want to say is: this Government recognises that the rental market is under pressure right now and we continue to support rentals. SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! The member has answered the question. Chris Bishop: When does she expect rents to stabilise or drop under this Government?Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Auckland it's 2.7.Chris Bishop: I asked her not you.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I can say is that—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The member will now stand withdraw and apologise.Chris Bishop: Withdraw and apologise. A point of order.SPEAKER: If this is disorderly the member will be leaving the Chamber.Chris Bishop: Well Mr Speaker I asked a question and as I was finishing asking the question the Prime Minister answered for me when the question wasn't to her; it was to the Associate Minister.SPEAKER: And the member for the fifth or sixth time today from a seat very close to me referred to me in his interjection. He knows what the rules are; he's not a stupid member. I can only assume he's doing it deliberately.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Can I say one thing that I'm enormously proud of this Government and that is for pressing ahead with increasing the supply of housing. If there is one thing that is going to ensure that we do our best to reduce the cost of housing it is building supply. And that is what I'm proud that this Government is doing.Chris Bishop: Does she think that there is a connection between weekly rents increasing by $150 per week since the Government came into office and 4000 children growing up in motels and if so what is she going to do about it? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What we have to do is increase the supply of housing. That is how we address the issues that that member has just raised. And that is what this Government is doing. The record number of building consents demonstrates the fact that we are well on our way to ensuring that we have got housing supply for our people and I'm enormously proud of the work of this Government in that space.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Can the member confirm the direct correlation between increasing supply and rent increases by the fact that when you look at the Stats New Zealand rent price index between February 2021 and February 2022 in Auckland increases are 2.7 percent—the area where we have seen record consents?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I can confirm that and further I can confirm in places like Canterbury where the supply of housing has increased the same as evident. That demonstrates that increasing supply—Chris Bishop: Nine years we've said that to Labour.SPEAKER: Order!Hon POTO WILLIAMS: —has a positive effect on the cost of housing and therefore on the cost of rents.Chris Bishop: Oh turns out supply works!SPEAKER: Order! I am now going to refer Mr Bishop to Speaker's ruling 61/1(1): he will stand withdraw and apologise.Chris Bishop: For what? I withdraw and apologise but for what in particular Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: If the member—Hon Member: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: No I'll deal with this one first. Does the member not realise when he laughs out loud so the House can hear him while I'm on my feet while I'm ruling about him? I was drawing his attention to one Speaker's ruling; I'll draw his attention to the second which is 61/2(3) and the consequences of that should probably have occurred already.