Little Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLittle Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11547. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the Minister for Building and Housing’s ability to ensure there is sufficient building supply to meet demand given Statistics New Zealand says Auckland building consents in April were down 23 percent compared with last year?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes I do have confidence in the Minister for Building and Housing. Many different agencies including councils are involved in ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of housing. Actually in the year to April the number of building consents issued in Auckland increased by 15 percent to more than 9300. That is over twice the number of 4 years ago.Andrew Little: Does he agree with Nick Smith’s statement on the Auckland build rate that “We need to get it up more like 50 to 60 houses per working day if we are going to make that material difference …”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes. Nick Smith was right; we do need to build more than the 40 a day we are building. That is obviously a substantial increase from the 10 a day that we inherited when we came into office. I think one of the ways to do that is to follow the Productivity Commission’s view which is to essentially get rid of the metropolitan urban limit. That is a policy that Labour supports but interestingly enough if I look to other political parties in the Parliament they say relaxing Auckland’s urban boundary will simply lead to further unsustainable urban sprawl and further congestion on Auckland roads. That of course is the Green’s position. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Andrew Little: Given that answer and also his statement to the House yesterday—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Start the question again Mr Little.Andrew Little: Thank you I will do that. I would not want the members to miss out. Given that answer and also given his statement to the House yesterday that 40 houses a day are being built how many houses a day is he currently falling short?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I just simply do not have that number.Andrew Little: Can he confirm that when he uses his figure of 40 houses a day he is talking about building consents not actual houses completed?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The building consent rate that converts to building houses being met is virtually 100 percent—a little less than that but it is very high.Andrew Little: In view of his clarification that he is now talking about 40 consents a day just how many families are living in those consents?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government is building more houses than we have seen for a very long time in Aucklandfour times the rate from when we came into office but you know when you have a piece of paper like a building consent it means something. It is a bit like when you have amemorandum of understanding—I suppose it means something.[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! A little less interjection from both sides of the House please. [Interruption] Order! Can we have the supplementary question. [Interruption] Order! Mr Little would assist me if he could just move to the supplementary question.Andrew Little: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am obliged. Is it not clear to him by now as it is to everyone else that there will be no end to the housing crisis unless the Government plays its part by abolishing the Auckland urban growth boundary stopping foreign speculators and building thousands of affordable homes for Kiwis to buy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government happens to agree that the metropolitan urban limit is a significant issue which is why we effectively temporarily went around that with 154 special housing areas. That is why we happen to agree that the national policy statement which effectively goes around the metropolitan urban limit—Phil Twyford: You promised it 8 years ago.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: —is the right thing to do. But it does not really matter what the Opposition thinks. We should not listen to you Phil; we just need to listen to Catherine Delahunty. She will be the next housing person who speaks for Labour and the Greens. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I have been relatively patient so far but it may not last for much longer.Metiria Turei: Of the 700-odd homes that have been built in the special housing areas over the last 3 years how many have people actually living in them and how many Aucklanders overall have been housed in the special housing areas?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have no idea but the member is happy to live in one with Andrew Little. I would not want to. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Metiria Turei: How many plots of special housing area land are still vacant despite having the special housing area status?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member would have to ask the Minister for Building and Housing that question.Metiria Turei: Why does the Prime Minister not know how much land banking is going on in the special housing areas given that it was his Government’s grand plan to build more houses for Auckland?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am not the Minister for Building and Housing but what I do know is the national policy statement that will be announced very soon will ensure that land banking becomes a very difficult thing to do.Metiria Turei: Does the Prime Minister not understand that without a Government commitment to actually building more homes all other policy options simply increase the risk of land banking and fuel the price growth in Aucklandwhich now means the average price of a house in Auckland is nearly a million dollars?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: If the member is concerned about land banking I look forward to her support for the national policy statement tomorrow. It will be quite different from the Greens’ position on housing. In the end we will have to work out whether—[Interruption] That is right. You are saying no; he is saying yes. What a mess.