Katene Rahui: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Katene Rahui: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I rise to express the support of the Maori Party for the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill. In doing so I am acting in a way that is consistent with our previous voting stance particularly our support of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Bill into law some 4 years ago which incidentally was in December of 2006. I wonder what it is about Christmas time that makes Governments want to ensure that homes are indeed weathertight. It is not like December here will be cold and horrible. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: It’s all the snow. 
RAHUI KATENE 
: I thought it must be or maybe it is like what my grandchildren tell me. It is all about Hana Koko and they want to get the chimney nice and ready for him to drop their presents into it. But all jokes aside I am pleased to see— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Gerry Brownlee is getting rid of chimneys. 
RAHUI KATENE 
: Oh no we cannot get rid of them. This is just in Christchurch and I will talk about Christchurch a bit later too. I am pleased to support this bill as it will bring into place the financial assistance measures that will be provided by the Minister on behalf of the Crown to lenders in the form of a credit support facility. The bill provides for the setting of monetary limits for the guarantees or indemnities the form and content of the guarantees or indemnities and the maximum contingent liability of the Crown under the guarantees or indemnities. This sounds particularly impressive and as if no stone has been left unturned. However the bill does not establish a limit on how much can be lent by the Crown to lenders. The Minister of Finance will determine the length of time the lender has to pay back the loan so I am particularly interested in hearing the public’s views through the select committee process about whether the Minister of Finance should be the one who has the ultimate authority to determine time frames and parameters around them. Arguably the Government will act as a guarantor to financial institutions so that the pressure of lending for the purposes of repairing leaky homes by these institutions can be eased and therefore money to fix leaky homes is more readily accessible. 
In its simplest form then this bill aims to provide owners of leaky homes with access to cost-effective procedures for assessment and resolution of claims. The bill will establish financial assistance measures in order to facilitate the repairs of leaky homes. 
I cannot leave this bill without making the inevitable comparison with a region central to my electorate of Te Tai Tonga. I am of course referring to the drastic impact of the September earthquake on some 100000 homes in Christchurch with some 2000 homes being uninhabitable. I am very aware that last Saturday was the last day the deadline for Earthquake Commission claims relating to damage from September’s earthquake. I certainly hope that everybody managed to get their claims in on time. I was one of those who procrastinated a little but I did manage to get my claim in within the last couple of weeks so I am feeling relieved about that. I now await the result of the inspection. But my big question does remain about how we support and sustain those residents who did not have the protection of insurance and how we can provide a positive future for them much as we are doing today with this Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill.