12. Emergency Housing—Motel UseCARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston) to the Minister for Social HousingEmergency Housing—Motel Use12. CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston) to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she think her Government is getting value for money for the emergency and transitional motel accommodation they are paying for to house homeless New Zealanders?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Social Housing): The Government assesses value in terms of the benefit that our programmes provide for those in need of housing support and in that regard we consider that both the emergency housing special-needs grants and the transitional housing programmes are money well spent.Carmel Sepuloni: Given that the four motels bought by the Government were purchased for more than double their recent valuations how can she say they are getting value for money?Hon AMY ADAMS: I am afraid that the member is simply wrong. We had registered valuations on all the sites before we bought them which had a total registered valuation of $7.4 million and the properties were purchased for a little over that at $8.5 million in a competitive environment. Her numbers are simply wrong.Carmel Sepuloni: I seek leave to table a document that has compiled all the recent valuations of the four motels that the Government has bought—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need the source of the document.Carmel Sepuloni: All the information is from the different council websites compiled by the Labour research team.Mr SPEAKER: No no I am unable to put the leave for that. It must be something that is sourced from the Parliamentary Library or a source like that rather than something that is prepared by a research unit.Carmel Sepuloni: Does she think that it is good value for money to spend $290 per night putting up a woman and her three children in emergency accommodation at a Papatoetoe motel particularly when motel stays were anticipated to be between $175 and $240 per night and it would actually be cheaper to stay at the Langham the Heritage or the Copthorne Hotel?Hon AMY ADAMS: We pay emergency housing special-needs grants because this side of the House believes that putting people somewhere warm and dry is better than leaving them in cars or on park benches as Labour was quite happy to do for all its time in Government when it completely turned its back on this issue.Carmel Sepuloni: I seek leave to table a letter to our housing spokesperson Phil Twyford from a social worker who took a woman and her three children to Work and Income New Zealand and had to take them to inadequate motel accommodation that cost $290 per night.Mr SPEAKER: Order! It has been well described. Leave is sought to table that particular letter. Is there any objection? No; it can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Carmel Sepuloni: What does she think has represented better value for money: selling State houses and forcing people on to the street purchasing motels to house the homeless after realising its mistake or the refusal to do anything about the wider housing crisis that has led to the sorry situation in the first place?Hon AMY ADAMS: I completely refute the allegations and insinuations in that member's question. This is a Government that has addressed the underlying shortage of land supply for houses which Labour failed to deal with. This is a Government that has provided for emergency and transitional housing which Labour failed to deal with. This is a Government that has—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume her seat. If that is going to continue there is no point in taking any further supplementary questions from the member. So I want an assurance that there will be some better behaviour and control from Labour members. Now I invite the Minister to complete her answer.Hon AMY ADAMS: Thank you Mr Speaker. As I was saying this is a Government that has prioritised looking after people in need of housing. This is a Government that has ensured that there is somewhere warm and dry to stay. This is a Government that has invested in improving the quality of the social housing stock which Labour left in an appalling state of affairs. And this is a Government that has a social housing reform programme that is delivering real results for those in need in New Zealand.Carmel Sepuloni: Will she join with Labour at this election and adopt our comprehensive housing plan to end homelessness and build thousands of affordable houses given her Government's 9 years of failed attempts?Hon AMY ADAMS: I will back this Government's record on housing and social housing over the appalling record of that party.