Paraone Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Paraone Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:639;Page:9497] 
1. PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: Does he stand by his statement to the House that “No tenant of the Housing New Zealand Corporation can be a non - New Zealander.” and how many of the 1508 non - New Zealand citizen applicants granted tenancy in Housing New Zealand Corporation properties during the 2005-06 financial year were refugees? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 Yes. As I stated to the House on 22 March 2007 a tenant can either be a resident of New Zealand or a citizen. The member may not know that all refugees are granted permanent residency when they arrive in New Zealand. One hundred and fifty refugees were housed in 2005-06 or 1.45 percent of the total number of people we housed that year. New migrants other than refugees must wait for 2 years before they are eligible for either an ordinary benefit or a Housing New Zealand Corporation property. 
Pita Paraone 
: Does the Minister stand by his statement to the House that with the exception of refugees Housing New Zealand Corporation’s allocation policy “should look after the needs of New Zealanders first”; if so why are around 1000 migrant families who arrived here on points systems being given State houses each year while thousands of New Zealand families sit on the waiting list? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I remind the member again that in each of the times I have answered this question from him I have stressed that one must be either a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand resident to be a Housing New Zealand Corporation tenant. New migrants even though they are New Zealand residents must wait 2 years before they are eligible for a Housing New Zealand Corporation house unless it is an emergency. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It might well be that you feel that the Minister addressed the question adequately but New Zealand First is wanting to know from the Minister why around 1000 migrant families who arrived here on a points system were given State houses. We have been asking this Minister questions on this line now I think for over a month and we really would like a clear answer if at all possible. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. The Minister did address the question. It may be that that is the question that should be asked. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: How many people were housed by Housing New Zealand Corporation in the 2005-06 financial year? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Housing New Zealand Corporation housed 10326 applicants in State houses in the 2005-06 financial year of which 1508 were either refugees or other migrants with permanent residency. During the same period we also added a further 1043 homes to our rental stock helping of course to rebuild our State housing stock which was decimated in the 1990s by National which sold 13000 of our houses. 
Pita Paraone 
: Is it true that the Housing New Zealand Corporation does not record the citizenship status of current occupants of its properties; if so how can the Minister say “You have to be a New Zealander or become a New Zealand citizen to get a State house.” when the system does not even record whether foreign applicants become New Zealand citizens after they are given State houses? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: To be eligible for a Housing New Zealand Corporation house I stress again that an applicant must be either a citizen or a permanent resident. A permanent resident is not eligible until he or she has been in New Zealand for 2 years. There can be no question that people who are not residents or citizens are eligible for New Zealand State houses. If the member knows of anybody who has a State house and who is not a New Zealand resident or a New Zealand citizen he should tell me and I will deal with it. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. How can the Minister’s two different statements be true? I am asking the Minister through you how can he say in one quote “No tenant of Housing New Zealand Corporation can be a non - New Zealander.” and then stand there and give the House an answer that says one can be if one is a resident? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order; the member is starting to debate the issue. The Minister has addressed the question. 
Pita Paraone 
: I seek leave to table an answer to a written question showing that more than 1500 foreign families were granted State housing in 2005-06. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Pita Paraone 
: I seek leave to table a statement by the Hon Chris Carter stating that the reality is that one has to be a New Zealander or become a New Zealand citizen to get a State house. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Pita Paraone 
: I seek leave to table a statement about the allocation system by the Minister of Housing stating: “It should look after the needs of New Zealanders first.” 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I seek leave to table a copy of my full answer to the question the member is quoting—question for written answer No. 5729—which explains that one has to be lawfully in New Zealand either by citizenship or residency to get a State house. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.