Ross Jami-Lee: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 24 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11107. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister for Building and Housing: What steps has the Government taken to dismantle Auckland Urban Limits that were identified by the Productivity Commission report in 2012 as a key problem for the city’s housing supply and affordability?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): The first step was creating special housing areasin 2013. This enables new housing estates to be approved beyond the urban limit and to date this has provided capacity for 27000 homes in Auckland beyond the old urban limit. The second step was fast-tracking a new unitary plan to replace those urban limits permanently and that process has only weeks to run. The third step is the Resource Management Act Reform Bill before Parliament which puts a specific new requirement on councils to provide for land supply. And the fourth step is a new national policy statement that would not allow councils to reinvent metropolitan urban limitsin the future.Jami-Lee Ross: What comments and reports has he seen of the adverse consequences of removing Auckland’s urban limits?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I have read reports that the 2012 Productivity Commission report recommending an end to urban limits was an ideological burp from dinosaurs of the extreme right and was best ignored. I have also read a statement saying that Dr Smith’s threat to get rid of Auckland’s metropolitan urban limit is total nonsense and that it will allow massive urban sprawl and completely unsustainable urban development. I have another statement which says that wholesale destruction of the city limits is the last thing that Aucklanders want to see. It will allow suburban sprawl to rip across the countryside from Whangarei to—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. That answer is not going to help.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a reasonable question. [Interruption] Well it was. Although the Minister might have taken too long to read some of the extremely strong quotes that were offered by some it would be nice for the House to know exactly who said those things.Mr SPEAKER: No no. It was an unreasonable answer. It went on for far too long and I listened very very carefully. I was left in little doubt that it was going to then be in breach of Speaker’s ruling 174/4 and I am sure that I am right. Point of order Hon Gerry Brownlee.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Supplementary question.Mr SPEAKER: Oh no. I would need to deal with the point of order first I suspect.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was not necessary to identify the source of the comments—Mr SPEAKER: This had better be a point of order Mr Smith.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: —because his face was quite red.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I did not quite hear what the point of order was but my question is: who was the genius personality who made those comments?Mr SPEAKER: No there is no ministerial responsibility for that.Jami-Lee Ross: Does the Minister recall any reports of dozens of hoardings being erected in Auckland in 2013 with his mugshot on them that decried his policy of overriding the urban limits and advocated a compact city; if so has he subsequently heard from the authors of those hoardings of any change in position?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I will deal with that point of order in a minute. As I call the Minister to answer that question if it in any way breaches Speaker’s ruling 174/4 and is simply an answer designed to attack the Opposition I will deal with it very very severely. There is a point of order from the Rt Hon Winston Peters.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am very reluctant to do this but no backbencher should describe a Minister as being a mug no matter how appropriate the description might be.Mr SPEAKER: That is hardly going to help the order of the House. Does the Minister wish to answer the question? I suspect it is very unwise to.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes I do recall those hoardings although it was not my best side. There probably is not a best side in my case. In respect of Labour’s change in position actually I welcome it because we can now have a far more intelligent discussion about what will make a difference on housing to Auckland families.