Mark RonHon RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Thank you Madam Chair. Look I thank the Minister of Housing and Urban Development for taking the time to stand up and explain to the Opposition precisely how the lead-in will work and the compliance. I appreciate the arguments that have been put up by the Opposition around the commencement date. It is heartening to know that they are concerned that it might be too long and that they would want it done earlier which in some ways sort of seems a bit strange given how that party used to be the champion of small business. It used to be worried about compliance costs and used to be worried about the ability for small businesses and landlords and small mum and dad investors to meet the Government legislation that they were quite happy to pass through in their time in Government. If this gives those mum and dad investors that time—to find the money to get the work done to get the assessments done and to complete the work—then I guess that is a good thing.But let's also consider what the options could have been. If we look back on housing history over different Governments' times I can remember as a brand spanking new member of Parliament running a list MP's office in Christchurch and taking in constituency work that wasn't being done by elected electorate MPs either because they were too lazy or too incapable to do that work or because they simply weren't trusted. So I would get work from Gerry Brownlee's electorate and other electorates and one of the streets that I recall if I go back to then is a street called Roxburgh Street where a whole line of houses was suffering mould. I can go now into Masterton after nine years of National governance and go over to the eastern side and see houses right now that aren't insulated and quite frankly that many people say shouldn't even be occupied. So if we could make this retrospective and pick up those houses and have the work done wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? But this work despite all that the National Party might like to trumpet was done that was positive—and I will thank the Hon Simon Bridges for assisting me to get some homes insulated in Masterton—the fact is that the standards—Hon Simon Bridges: Good Minister.Hon RON MARK: Well it was a good response because his own MP had told the constituents that he couldn't do a damned thing to help them so they came to me. But imagine how much better things would have been if we'd had this legislation enacted five years ago nine years ago 10 years ago—Hon Dr Nick Smith: We did—we did it. It's already done.Hon RON MARK: —imagine how much better. The former Minister Nick Smith interjects but if there's no need for this legislation then tell us in this House why and how it is that there are still so many homes that are unhealthy that have poor drainage and that have mildew issues.I can take that member into houses that actually don't belong to Housing New Zealand any more because they sold them. They sold them to an apparently responsible community housing provider who has not done the work because they are not obligated. If we could take this commencement date back five years maybe those houses owned by Trust House Charitable Trust in Masterton would be insulated and would be more healthy—you know the 541 houses that National sold that are still substandard. In fact now I hear Trust House Charitable Trust making pitches saying they want to come and talk to this wonderful Minister of Housing and Urban Development because they want help to upgrade their homes actually that they've owned since 1999.So maybe the commencement date's wrong. Maybe we should backdate it. No—the Hon Nick Smith says no that's not a good idea. Maybe we could have backdated it nine years or backdated it six years or three years because somehow somewhere along the line despite all the good work that the Hon Simon Bridges tried to do helping me help people in Masterton we still have homes that are unhealthy. We still have that.New Zealand First looks forward to further reviews of the Residential Tenancies Act because we look at things like earthquake strengthening. We look at the opportunity to address those matters that are still lagging behind. This is a good first step. Maybe the Opposition would like the legislation advanced forward another three years but I actually think the Minister's explained why it sits where it is and the fact that most of those houses due to the length of their occupancy—go to Hampshire Street. Those people have tenancies that last one year. The bill will pick them up.