2. Housing—Affordability Supply and MarketANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterHousing—Affordability Supply and Market2. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Why was there no mention of the housing crisis in his State of the Nation speech last week?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): I did mention housing. I said the Government is building the roads schools and houses needed to support our growing communities. We will continue this year with our comprehensive plan to increase the supply of housing and in particular working closely with the councils which make almost all the decisions relevant to getting any house or subdivision consented. Andrew Little: Is it seriously his position that there is no housing crisis?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The Government's position for some time has been that the answer to fast-rising house prices is to get more houses on the ground faster and the biggest step forward was the new Auckland Unitary Plan which this Government legislated to do in 3 years instead of 10. That finally—as of about September last year—enables sufficient supply to be built and the market and the Government is getting on with building it. Andrew Little: Why can he not admit there is a housing crisis when Demographia—an internationally renowned research organisation—rates Auckland as the fourth most unaffordable housing market in the world?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The reason for that is 20 or 30 years of misguided planning in Auckland which was designed to stop the city growing. Now that the approach has changed we have record house building going on in Auckland and in fact in a number of places across the country.Andrew Little: When the Salvation Army says housing speculators are distorting our economy and creating homelessness why will he not show leadership and crack down on those property speculators?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: What the market needs and the homeless and the families who are struggling to pay their rent or borrow enough money for a house is more houses. The good news is we now have record numbers of housing being built and the pipeline for housing and infrastructure building over the next 4 or 5 years is bigger than New Zealand has seen for decades.Andrew Little: Now that the Salvation Army has joined Labour's call for a Government-led affordable house building programme when will he admit the cause of the housing crisis is his failure to lead in building more houses?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The member—who we know who is not happy about a lot of things going well—will not be happy as he sees the Government's building programme unfold this year. As the owner of one in every 16 houses in Auckland we have initiated large-scale projects in Tāmaki and Northcote on top of the completion of Hobsonville with many more to come.Andrew Little: In light of his statement in his maiden speech: what I do bring to this job is a willingness to get into the argument rather than avoid it." why is he ducking and dodging and denying the housing crisis?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: In respect of getting into the argument I can recall when I was the Minister of Finance raising the idea a number of years ago that one of the reasons for rising prices was lack of supply and being laughed at and criticised by the Opposition who have now come round to the view as has Auckland Council that the problem has been planning that stopped the supply of housing when it was needed. That is now changing and the houses are getting built. It will take a number of years of over 10000 houses a year to get to the right number.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the population of Rotorua—net—is coming in from overseas under his mass immigration programme where is the Rotorua size infrastructure and housing roading and hospitals that have to supply the issue of demand? And if he has not got a plan for that why do you think we going to believe the gobbledegook he is saying today?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The member may be disappointed in this but although the number of people coming in is up somewhat—Hon Members: Oh!Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: —no no. The biggest change is New Zealanders not leaving. A party that calls itself New Zealand First should know that and be pleased about it. And because so many New Zealanders have stopped leaving because they prefer to live here we are building more houses more roads and more schools to accommodate them.Andrew Little: Will he front up to New Zealanders and join me in Mt Albert for a public debate on housing in the next 2 weeks or like the gingerbread man is he just going to run run run away? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House now deserves to hear the answer.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I suggest the member invite Poto Williams along because I am sure that would be a much better debate and—Hon Member: And Willie Jackson.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: —oh and Willie Jackson.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am asking for a little more cooperation during question time. I will accept some level of interjection but when it is out of control I will have to deal with it a bit more severely.Andrew Little: Will the Prime Minister be absolutely clear with me and this House—will he join me for a debate about housing issues in Mt Albert in the next 2 weeks yes or no?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I would not want to deprive the voters of Mt Albert or the public of New Zealand of the sheer entertainment value of a debate between Andrew Little and Poto Williams so I am going to stay home.Mr SPEAKER: Order! One interjection there went a bit far. It had better cease."