King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4864. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
10. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: Which of the recommendations on housing from the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty will he implement? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 I note that the paper contains many proposals that are worthy of serious consideration and that complement many existing initiatives. However the paper is currently a draft. It has been released for public comment and is not expected to be submitted to the Government until later this year in its final form. I look forward to working with my colleagues in due course on the Government’s response. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does he agree with the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty that there is a lack of supply of housing especially in Auckland leading to overcrowding temporary housing shortages and homelessness and it is linked to affordability? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: Yes I agree with many aspects of the report. Many of them are not news to me or this Government. They may be news to the Labour Party. 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Was that necessary? It was a straight question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the member’s point is fair enough that the member did in fact ask a very specific question. The Minister said he agreed with many aspects of the report. He did not actually answer as to whether he agreed with that aspect. And as he gave an unnecessary comment at the end he will now get to his feet and answer the question. 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I agree with many aspects of the report and many of the examples in the report. The conclusions that the member read out I agree with. She raised several about overcrowding expensive housing in Auckland and so forth. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does he agree with the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty that there is a limited stock of community housing and there are policy impediments to its expansion? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: Yes and that is why we are working hard with community housing organisations to increase the stock in Auckland and elsewhere across the country. I believe that in the last 3½ years we have jointly funded—that is a collaborative approach where we have put up $1 and they have put up $2—about 700 new builds across New Zealand many of them in Auckland. We are very proud of our relationship with the community housing sector. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does he agree with the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty that the Government needs to take immediate action to increase the number of social and affordable houses; if so why after 4 years as Minister can he not identify which State houses are in the wrong place are the wrong size and are in poor condition? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: We do agree that we need an increase in social housing across New Zealand. We have said—at least I have said in the last year or two—that the Housing New Zealand Corporation will contribute to new housing. In fact we have supplied 2000 new builds or leased new builds over the last 4 years. However it is the community housing sector that we see as the area for growth. We are saying that State housing and the Government cannot do it alone. That is why I am very proud of our record of working with the community housing sector to increase the housing supply throughout New Zealand. 
Hon Annette King 
: Why is he unable to identify which State houses are in the wrong place are the wrong size and are in poor condition—something that he has been saying for 4 years but is unable to provide in terms of an answer to this House? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: Well I will give the House two examples of where houses are in poor condition or they are the wrong size or whatever it is. One is in Farmer Crescent where we decided to remove those ugly State houses and all the problems that came with them and the Labour Party opposed us doing that. The other place is in Tamaki where we have got 3000 State houses on quarter-acre or half-acre sections. Interestingly the Mana Party the Green Party and the Labour Party are opposing us fixing up those houses as well. So everywhere we identify old cold and mouldy State houses on large sections that are the wrong size the Labour Party opposes us doing something about it. 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am seeking your guidance. I asked this question because I have asked it in a written form and the Minister said he is unable to provide me with the information as to where State houses are in the wrong place of the wrong size and in poor condition. But today he has started to provide some answers— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! No the member is now debating the Minister’s answer. I mean I cannot be party to all that information. The Minister did answer the question asked. The member asked why he could not identify certain things and the Minister explained what happened when the Government did identify certain things and why it was difficult. It was an answer to the question.