Ngaro Alfred: Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 08 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8628. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (National): I rise to take a call on the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill. I want to make a couple of remarks. This is a debate and so I will rebut some of the remarks that have been made by previous speakers. In the closing comments of the previous speaker Phil Twyford there was a remark made about pandering to slum landlords. I just need to remind that member that in the 9 years of a Labour Government there were at least 40000—[Interruption] Let us get some figures because history does hurt—I know it does. Let us talk about what pandering to the slum landlords did under a Labour Government. In 9 years 19000 State homes were insulated—19000. That is an average of 2000 houses per year. Under the National Government—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! I regret having to interrupt the member but I will remind members that although it is a robust debate that does not mean that the standards as to what they call members are changed Carmel Sepuloni.ALFRED NGARO: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. Let us then remind those members. Under a Labour Government in 9 years there were only 19000 houses insulated. Under a National Government so far in its 7th year we have insulated 40000 State houses and 280000 houses under the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme. That is an average of 50000 houses per year. In other words by the time we have completed 9 years—yes it will be 9 long years for the Opposition; here are the figures which will hurt—there will be nearly half a million homes that have been insulated to make them warmer drier and safer. That is a statistic that you cannot get away from. I know the history hurts but it is the reality.We believe that under this Government and under this Minister the Hon Nick Smith we are heading towards what we believe is important—a balance towards engaging those who we know are important in the sector. So those who are important and are key include groups of property landlords. The New Zealand Property Investors Federation has been engaged and has been consulted. For tenants there is the Tenants Protection Association. Together they have said that the process and the balance that this bill is taking is appropriate and right.The other comments and we are talking about the thickness of the legislation—or the thickness of insulation which I think is what the member was trying to get to; he made a bit of a Freudian slip there—were that in actual fact we believe that this bill strikes the right balance towards a warrant of fitness. We believe that it will amend the Act to require smoke alarms and insulation for residential properties. It will provide greater enforcement powers in respect of unsafe and unhealthy rental homes. Thirdly it will reform the law in regard to abandoned residential properties.The previous speaker talked about what should be enforced but what the member does not always take into account is who will pay. Where will the costs come from? For this bill there has been consultation with those in the sector who have given us their views about what is right what is a balance and what is appropriate for us to step forward. We believe that we are focused on the right area. Those figures again: under this Government half a million homes are being insulated. They are warmer and drier. In 9 years under Labour only 19000 State houses were insulated. This is a Government that acts. This is a Government that works closely with the sector to consult. This is a Government that wants to have warmer drier safer homes for New Zealanders.I look forward as chair of the Social Services Committee to receiving this bill working with our communities hearing submissions and working towards this bill returning to the House. I commend this bill to the House.