Mallard Trevor: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMallard Trevor: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 31 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:10093. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister responsible for HNZC: Is he satisfied that the resources allocated to Housing New Zealand are being used in the best possible way?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister responsible for HNZC): Yes generally although it can always do better.Hon Trevor Mallard: Why does Housing New Zealand require tenants to seek the permission of tenancy managers before putting up a blow-up paddling pool in their backyards?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The member may be referring to a Housing New Zealand campaign called “The Summer Safety House”. Like all other landlords it has to comply with the law. The law says that pools over I think 400 millimetres deep need to be dealt with properly. Housing New Zealand advises me that it makes no apology for the fact that it is now trying to comply with the law and that children in its houses will be safer as a result.Hon Trevor Mallard: I seek leave to table the Housing New Zealand newsletter that went to tenants indicating that they had to apply for permission for paddling pools under 400 millimetres—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. Leave is sought to table that particular newsletter. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Trevor Mallard: Does he think that an on-site inspection of each blow-up paddling pool for which permission has been sought which I am assured by the Hutt Valley management of Housing New Zealand occurs is the best use of Housing New Zealand staff time?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Housing New Zealand is in the best position to make the decisions about in the first place its compliance with the law and secondly making sure it keeps track of the updates in the law because the pool fencing law is being changed. I understand the member’s party is opposing that. Thirdly Housing New Zealand needs to conduct itself as a responsible landlord regarding the safety of its tenants. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member to ask further supplementaries can I ask for a little more cooperation so that we can hear the answers that are being given without the continual carping coming from a few members to my left.Hon Trevor Mallard: Would Housing New Zealand staff time be better used sorting out the case they have known of for 2 years of—Alastair Scott: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I believe only the questioner can use a visual aid not anyone else.Hon Trevor Mallard: It is allowed to be held up by someone else so that I can point at it surely?Mr SPEAKER: No it should be held up only by the member asking the question.Hon Trevor Mallard: I apologise. I will start again.Mr SPEAKER: We will hear the question first. [Interruption] Order!Hon Trevor Mallard: Would Housing New Zealand staff—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I asked for quiet on the left-hand side when the question is being answered. I expect silence on the right-hand side when the question is being asked.Hon Trevor Mallard: Would Housing New Zealand staff time be better used sorting out the case they have known of for 2 years of my constituent who lived in a water-damaged mouldy State unit with no power?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am advised by Housing New Zealand that it is having some challenge verifying the member’s assertions. The circumstances he describesare of course well outside policy. If there is any mould alerted or water damage in a house where ill-health is involved it is expected to be fixed within 12 hours otherwise within—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I am sorry to interrupt. I asked for cooperation. The next interjection I get while the answer is being given the member will be leaving the Chamber.Hon BILL ENGLISH: —otherwise within 10 days. I might also say that often when these cases are brought up what is left out is that the tenant is often refusing access. Housing New Zealand can deal with these problems only if tenants enable access and I would hope that if the member’s case turns out to be genuine the tenant will enable access because he can be sure that the problem will be fixed. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I have given enough warnings. I now—[Interruption] Order! I give a very specific warning to Grant Robertson.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It has long been accepted in this House that it is different to interject between questions than it is during an answer and that interjection from my colleague Grant Robertson did not fall within the scope of your earlier ruling nor normal rulings.Mr SPEAKER: The member should become more familiar with the Standing Orders. [Interruption] Order! Interjectionsare in fact not allowed. I allow them. I am relatively genuine and accommodating in order to allow a little bit of atmosphere during question time but when I have called the member to ask a supplementary question and the interjection continues particularly when I have been on my feet too often this afternoon trying to get some cooperation then I have issued a warning that I will not hesitate to carry out if need be. I hope that is not the case.Hon Trevor Mallard: Does he think it is reasonable for Housing New Zealand to relocate tenants from above the unit in this photoand do that flat up the units on both sides of this unit and do those flats up and leave the tenant in this flat without power from 2014 until February this year?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I must say to the member that given his description of those activities there is something interesting if not tricky about this particular case if the circumstances are as he outlines. In the expenditure of some $300 million—in fact more than that—in improving and lifting the quality of Housing New Zealand houses it seems to me very unlikely that a cooperative informative tenant was left sitting in a mouldy home without power for 2 years in the middle of units that have otherwise been done up. That seems to me worthy of much more description of what might have gone on.Hon Trevor Mallard: I seek leave to table two photographs of a unit in which this Government failed its duty of care—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not need the description that has been given. I assume that the member is seeking leave to table the two photographs that he has used as visual aids.Hon Trevor Mallard: I certainly am.Mr SPEAKER: Yes. I will put the leave. Leave is sought—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know that you do not like these points of order but it would help the House enormously if we were to know that the photographs would be verifiable by an address being put on them.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from the Hon Trevor Mallard.Hon Trevor Mallard: Housing New Zealand is aware of the address. It was aware of it in February.Mr SPEAKER: Order! This matter is easily resolved for me. I will put the leave and the House will decide. Leave is sought to table those particular photographs. Is there any objection to them being tabled? There is objection.Hon Trevor Mallard: I seek leave of the House to table a file note on the case indicating the names of the two Housing New Zealand officials who visited this flat in February.Mr SPEAKER: The source of the file note?Hon Trevor Mallard: It is my file note of the case. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The document has been described. I will put the leave and the House will decide. Leave is sought to table that particular file note. Is there any objection? There is.Darroch Ball: Supplementary to the Minister—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again I have called Darroch Ball.Darroch Ball: Will he support New Zealand First’s “one strike and you are out for life” policy for tenants who contaminate their State homes with P; or is he happy with current Government process that those tenants can be back in another State house to contaminate it within 12 months of being evicted?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The question will be better directed to the Minister for Social Housing but we do have concerns about the significant number of P-contaminated houses. It has grown rapidly. In the handover of stock to the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company tomorrow for instance it turns out that 17 of those houses are contaminated with P and are therefore unable to be occupied. I think it illustrates the challenge of dealing with some of our reckless irresponsible and criminal tenants. So I am sure the Government would consider support for firmer measures for dealing with such tenants.