Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Pillay Lynne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:647;Page:16142] 
8.  
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What further steps has the Government taken to address housing affordability? 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 From 1 July under the shared equity pilot eligible households can apply for an interest-free loan on a house of between 5 and 30 percent of its value. This is another Labour-led Government initiative that like Welcome Home Loans and KiwiSaver will help New Zealanders into their first homes. 
Lynne Pillay 
: What recent reports has she seen regarding the Labour-led Government’s shared equity scheme? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: I have seen various reports from real estate agents describing the scheme as “a fantastic initiative” and “very encouraging” for first-home buyers while a spokesperson for the Salvation Army has said: “I think there is such a demand for this that it will prove a huge success.” 
Sue Bradford 
: Does the Minister have any plans at all to increase the number of State houses available in the Gisborne area given that there are absolutely desperate people on the waiting list who are being told that there will be no appropriate houses available in the foreseeable future? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: We are constantly looking to increase the numbers of State houses particularly those in areas where there is the greatest need. 
Sue Bradford 
: Does the Government have any plans at all for dealing with the problem of people living in very poor accommodation that is often totally unsanitary and at a standard no one in this House could in some cases even imagine and in houses that are comparable to slums in the Third World particularly in rural and provincial New Zealand where there does not seem to be any great attempt to increase the supply of Housing New Zealand Corporation houses or third sector community-based housing? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: There is an ongoing work stream in the Housing New Zealand Corporation to address issues of rural housing provision. It is true that there is some substandard housing in rural areas and we are working to address that. 
Phil Heatley 
: Why should Nelson be pleased when its shared equity criteria means that its population formula will help only 19 Nelson people—that is 19 people over 2 years—that it allows only homes under $240000 and one cannot find one of those in Nelson and that people still have to stump up with 90 percent of the house cost as Nelson’s limit helps with only 10 percent of the cost? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: First of all Nelson is an expensive place to live. Again if that member wanted to do some homework he might look at the most recent Nelson real estate magazines and find that there is something in the order of 60 properties within the range of the shared equity pilot available in Nelson. 
Phil Heatley 
: Why has the shared equity scheme so stunningly under-delivered when with 12 rehashed announcements since 2004 it was so stunningly over-promised? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: The scheme has not under-delivered because it has not started yet. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table Nelson’s population—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. There is a convention that points of order come at the end of supplementary questions. However the member did start his point of order so we will finish it and then take the supplementary question. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table the population of Nelson which has been given 19 houses over 2 years. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In the interests of parliamentary question time resembling in quality something akin to a First World democracy would the Minister insist when she hears that question from that Minister on receiving some evidence of what he predicates his question on because he has a habit of getting up and saying a whole lot of mindless things of the nature of what he just said—that is that not one house conformed to Housing New Zealand Corporation criteria even though property real estate is full of that—and then in the next question he repeated another falsehood which is frankly a waste of Parliament’s time? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Well this— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: That is a fair question and the Minister should be allowed to answer it. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. I rule the question out of order because it is not within ministerial responsibility; it is more of a matter of debate. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My point of order was going to deal with that. But while I am on my feet I would perhaps ask you to seek—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There will be no interruptions during points of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: The member really should have gone for that—others have at various times I would note. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: But not today I have noticed. So from now on I ask members to please observe silence during points of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Madam Speaker I wonder whether you might seek from Mr Peters clarification of the information that Phil Heatley has been made a Minister and whether in fact he knows something that we do not. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order; it is a point of debate. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table Nelson’s average house cost of $325000—almost $100000 more than the Minister’s top price of $240000. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table the cap of 10 percent help on buying a house in Nelson. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is.