4. Question No. 4—HousingHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 4—Housing4. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Minister of Housing: Does the KiwiBuild programme remain a policy for the Government to build affordable homes over the next 10 years as stated in the Speech from the Throne?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): Yes. As the Prime Minister stated in the Speech from the Throne housing is a top priority for this Government. Action will be taken to address homelessness State house sell-offs will stop and the State will take the lead in building affordable houses. Our Government remains committed to all these housing priorities including getting New Zealanders into affordable homes over the next 10 years. As I've publicly indicated the KiwiBuild programme hasn't worked the way we wanted it to and I'm currently resetting the policies. Targets and time lines could be part of this reset. I'll be taking a paper through the Cabinet process later next month.Hon Judith Collins: In what way does she consider the purchase of 10 already completed houses in Ōtāhuhu by KiwiBuild is evidence of a Government building houses rather than just buying some?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Over the last two days I have explained to the member the way in which that purchase can work. But one thing I would like that member to understand is that on this side of the House we do not consider that KiwiBuild has worked the way we wanted it to. That is why we are resetting it. This is not easy and we have the courage to admit that. That party should know that. They tried to build 39000 houses in the special housing areas over three years. They only achieved 3100 of those houses and of those only 100 were affordable.Hon Judith Collins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Well that was very interesting but I asked specifically: in what way does she consider the purchase of 10 already completed houses in Ōtāhuhu by KiwiBuild is evidence of a Government building houses? That was not addressed in my opinion.SPEAKER: And I think at the very first line—I probably let the Minister run on a bit long—I inferred that she indicated that she didn't think that.Hon Judith Collins: Excellent. Was NZ Living's agreement to provide houses to KiwiBuild at Northcote contingent on the Government buying unsold houses at Ōtāhuhu?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As again we've previously discussed during the course of the week in this House the developer of the Northcote development has publicly said that there is a chain in terms of the three developments and that the Northcote development would have only been a twinkle in his eye without KiwiBuild. But let me repeat: on this side of the House we do not consider that KiwiBuild has been operating in a way that we are satisfied with. This is not easy; that is why we are resetting it. That party failed when they were in Government to deliver affordable housing in the volumes required. We in this Government are not prepared to give up.Hon Judith Collins: Is it appropriate for KiwiBuild to buy houses off developers on a we'll scratch your back; you scratch ours" basis as seems to have happened between Ōtāhuhu and Northcote?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I reject the premise of that question.Hon Judith Collins: What third-party verification if any has she received for the claims of developers that the Government purchasing already built houses in one place has driven them to build houses in another place?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The developer has publicly spoken about it. I'm happy to forward the information through to the member if she would like to see it.Hon Judith Collins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Thank you so much. I asked what third-party verification if any had she received for the developers' claim. Simply telling me the developers have claimed it—SPEAKER: Order! I think it's fair to say that that part of the question was not addressed and the Minister will address it.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: What we do have are public comments from the developer saying his opinion of what his actions would have been. In answer to that question: no—someone hasn't come out and said "What he said is right."Hon Judith Collins: So then is the Minister saying that she's simply taken the word of the property developer without any verification—any third party—that new housing got to be built because KiwiBuild came along and bought up houses that hadn't sold in Ōtāhuhu from them?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: We actually do live in a world where people do say what a consequence of their actions was and we take it as read. I know that people on that side of the House there do as well. But let me remind that member again: we do not think KiwiBuild has been delivering in a way that we are happy with. We are resetting the policy settings because housing is too important. That member might want to come to this House and play political games; I have yet to hear a positive suggestion in the 501 days she has been the Opposition housing spokesperson about what she would do to fix this. We will not give up on this. I've been the housing Minister for 28 days and I'm giving it a lot of thought."