Little Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLittle Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 31 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11462. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister for Building and Housing given that since 2013 the number of owner-occupied homes has fallen by 7000 while the number of rentals has increased by 14000?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes and I would point out that if the member wants to cherry-pick from that particular data set he should just go back one more year to 2012. He will see that since then the number of owner-occupied homes has risen by 20000 and the number of rentals has decreased by 2000 which just shows you that the Labour Party likes to be quite selective with its data.Andrew Little: What was the average house price in Auckland when he came into office and what is it now?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have that information but you would have to put it down to the Minister for Building and Housing who would have that.Andrew Little: I seek leave to table a data series from Quotable Value that is not publicly available which shows that the average Auckland house price has increased by $440000 from $500000 to $940000—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been very well described. On the basis that it is not freely available I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular information. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Andrew Little: Is he happy that since the brightline test and IRD number rules were introduced last year Auckland house prices have risen by $1750 a week on average?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Firstly I would want to fact check the member and secondly the brightline test is simply one measure that has been in place. In fact the Labour finance spokesperson was talking quite positively on the weekend about the brightline testI thought.Jami-Lee Ross: Has the Prime Minister received any reports of house price inflation between 1999 and 2008 at all?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have. House prices doubled over that period of time and the actions taken by the Government of the day back then were absolutely zero.Andrew Little: Coming forward 8 years to today does he still agree with this statement: “We are facing a severe home-affordability and ownership crisis. The crisis has reached dangerous levels in recent years and looks set to get worse.”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: At the time that I made it yes.Andrew Little: In light of that quote from him in 2007 does he seriously believe he has done enough to address the crisis he declared when under his watch Auckland house prices have increased by $440000 homeownership has fallen to its lowest level in 65 years and record numbers of New Zealanders are now living in cars and garages?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Homeownership rates have been declining since the mid-1980s a point made by the Productivity Commission when it looked at it. I just simply make the point that there have been a tremendous number of steps taken by the Government. We know it is a lagging indicator but today we saw record numbers of consents again—28000. Forty houses are being built a day in Auckland.There are 154 special housing areas.As was pointed out earlier the brightline test has been introduced.Twelve thousand families have been supported through KiwiSaver HomeStart. Yes of course there is some catch-up but that catch-up is happening as a result of confidence in the economy and low interest rates under a National-led Government.Andrew Little: Has blaming the councils blaming Labour blaming the Greens blaming New Zealand First and generally saying the buck stops anywhere but with him done anything to boost homeownership in New Zealand?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am not quite sure we have blamed all of those people but what is true is that under Labour house prices doubled and it was a complete failure. That is just a statement of fact. It is not an apportionment of blame. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Andrew Little: After 8 long years and $440000 of house-price increases in Auckland is it not time to stop the excuses stop coming up with half-baked half-hearted measures and just adopt Labour’s plan to implement a national policy statement on affordable housing abolish the Auckland urban growth boundary stop foreign speculators and build thousands of affordable homes for Kiwis?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Labour Party does not have a plan; it has a pipe dream. In fact the last time I looked the Labour Party was rapidly adopting the National plan. I think over time we will find it will get there on all of these wonderful things that we are doing. Since Phil cannot come up with his own ideas he may as well just have ours.