1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement in relation to Government housing policy that we have to constantly make sure we are reaching those affordability goals for people" and does she agree with the 2022 Salvation Army State of the Nation report that states "the massive increases in renting costs right throughout Aotearoa is confronting. Housing affordability for both first-home buyers and those renting is extremely worrying"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes in the context it was made. In terms of the second part of the question yes. This Government has not shied away from the housing crisis that we inherited. Unlike the previous Government this Government admits that there is a housing crisis and we are working hard to address it. There is no silver bullet. However this Government is overseeing the largest number of building consents ever with over 48000 homes consented last year. We've added over 8900 new public housing places—removing planning rules that stop homes being built and reforming the Resource Management Act and investing an extra $3.8 billion in the pipes roads and infrastructure required for new homes—and we've grown the construction workforce by 14 percent at the same time.Nicola Willis: Can she name a single measure which shows housing is more affordable for New Zealanders today than it was when she became Prime Minister?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister as I said in my primary answer there is no silver bullet. What there is is a long-term programme of work to build more houses. And yes we are seeing supply come online which will make housing more affordable for people. Yes we are seeing more first-home buyers in the housing market. We are seeing the fact that the rate of house price increase is coming down. But on this side of the House we know that a housing crisis—decades in the making—is not going to be solved in just a short few years.Nicola Willis: Well isn't it the case that despite her enormous promises to New Zealanders housing is less affordable for New Zealanders today by every single measure than it was when she became Prime Minister?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister this Government is sticking to its commitment to do the hard work to build more houses and to make sure that we support people into buying their first homes make sure we have more social housing and make sure we have more emergency housing. We are taking action. The National Party have not come up with and not supported one good idea to actually do anything about this.Nicola Willis: How many children are being raised in emergency motel rooms on her watch and how does that compare to when National was in office?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister we have invested in emergency housing so that children are not growing up in cars which is what they were doing under the previous Government.Nicola Willis: Why did median rents increase by a record-breaking $50 a week between December 2020 and December 2021?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister stated in the House yesterday there are many reasons for why rents go up. Rents have been going up in history across New Zealand for many many years. What I do know is that on this side of the House we have taken action to ensure that new builds are exempted from the rules that we put in place to make the housing market fairer so that we do increase the supply so we have more rental properties. We are taking action and I repeat the National Party have no policy to do anything about the housing crisis which should not surprise anyone because they denied it for nine years.Nicola Willis: What does she say to the tenants of Glen a landlord who wrote to me saying "I have issued my annual rent increases to tenants. This year I had to take into account the additional $9000 in tax we will be paying." and does she understand that her policy to hike taxes for landlords is being paid for by New Zealand renters who are caught in a cost of living crisis?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I say to those tenants is that they have a Government that is making sure that they live in warm dry rental housing that they are protected from being exploited and that we are building more housing that they one day will be able to purchase. On this side of the House we actually believe in supporting people who are in low-income situations—not what I've heard from the other side of the House which is opposing every initiative we have taken to improve the lot of low-income people."