Catchpole Brent: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Catchpole Brent: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21335] 
BRENT CATCHPOLE (NZ First) 
: 
 I have just been listening to the Minister doing exactly what this Government has always done and it appears what it will continue to do—blame everybody but the real part of the industry that brought this whole debacle into being which is the Building Industry Authority. When will a Minister acknowledge that the authority had everything to do with this particular problem? We saw in the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service report that the Department of Building and Housing is looking at acceptable standards and that the new standards will adopt internationally recognised best practices for weathertightness. That is great! That would make me feel great and full of confidence if it were not for the fact that the same people who were in the Building Industry Authority are doing this. 
The authority adopted new standards in 1995 and 1998 which led to the introduction of kiln-dried timber and monolithic cladding the combination of which was catastrophic. Did the authority carry out any tests on those products to make sure that they were compatible? No it just accepted the industry and manufacturers’ warranties and specifications as proof that the products were OK. Did the authority listen to the industry’s concerns? No it just totally ignored them and carried on with the whole process. It totally ignored the industry’s concerns right throughout. Did the authority act to rectify its mistakes when the problem became obvious to everybody else except the authority and the Minister who was in charge of the authority at the time? No it did not. The authority did nothing. In fact it stuck its head in the sand and totally ignored and denied that anything was happening—and the rotting homes problem continued for years on end. 
 It was interesting to hear Clayton Cosgrove in the House yesterday say that Labour and he had known for 10 years that this problem was developing. That is an admission that the Government knew about the problem and the Minister knew about the problem for at least 10 years before they acknowledged it. Clayton Cosgrove admitted that in this House yesterday. If members look at his  
Hansard 
 they will see that he admitted that. So this Government had known about these problems all along. 
This Government set up the Department of Building and Housing which absorbed the Building Industry Authority. The authority created this environmental economic and health problem of monumental proportions yet that same organisation—the department—is being protected and shielded by this Government. The Government has put up $4.5 million to protect the department from any legal— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: No $6 million. 
BRENT CATCHPOLE 
: It is now $6 million is it? 
Dail Jones 
: What does New Zealand First think? 
BRENT CATCHPOLE 
: New Zealand First thinks it is an absolute disgrace and we want the Department of Building and Housing to be reviewed and the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service to be reviewed and reformed because it is not providing the service that it was meant to or that everybody expected of it particularly in terms of the department’s treatment of it. The Weathertight Homes Resolution Service was the one way that homeowners had of achieving a successful resolution but the department refuses to take part in the process. The conditions were set by the Department of Building and Housing yet it holds all the ace cards. Firstly it refused to participate in the Government’s Weathertight Homes Resolution Service which was set up to be a speedy flexible and cost-effective resolution for those homeowners. Secondly it uses every effort to remove itself from the legal process. As well the Crown Law Office has stated that it will not pay a cent to anyone undergoing mediation because it will carry this issue right on through to every appeal process that this country has available to it. 
The Department and the Government have no intention of looking after the people of New Zealand who have that problem. It is a disgrace.