Street Maryan: Building Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
Street Maryan: Building Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
[Volume:655;Page:5082] 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) 
: 
 I take great delight in speaking to the Building Amendment Bill (No 2) which of course Labour is supporting. I note that all of National’s speakers whom I have heard so far on the bill this evening perhaps with the exception of the Minister for Building and Construction because I did not hear his complete speech and with the exception of the previous speaker have neglected to mention anything to do with housing affordability. 
It has taken my colleagues on this side of the Chamber to acknowledge the issue of housing affordability. That is the origin of this bill. It does not originate in red tape cutting at all costs which is a predilection of the Government. Its origins were in the previous Labour Government’s wrestling with the issue of housing affordability. We had to wrestle with that issue because in the 9 years that we were in Government house prices went up 80 percent. This was not through Government action or any intrusion into the market but because of the bubbles that we now all know about so wisely in hindsight and about which we can have such good theories and be so condemnatory on. Those were the origins of this legislation. 
I am delighted that Nicky Wagner mentioned housing affordability because she is the only one of the National Government’s speakers who has done so. I remember—and I feel very passionately about this because I was the Minister of Housing at the time—when we proposed multiple-use consents the chorus from the Opposition of the time was: “Oh houses made of ticky-tacky! Little boxes on the hillside! You want everybody to look the same.” That was the cry from members over the other side of the House when National was in Opposition. They did not care about housing affordability. That was not in their frame at all. In fact I would go so far as to say it is not in their frame now. 
Housing affordability has not been mentioned once by the new Minister of Housing since he has taken up the portfolio. I say to Mr Williamson that I am referring to the Minister of Housing Phil Heatley who has not mentioned housing affordability once since he has taken up the portfolio. I am so delighted to support this bill and I am very pleased that the Minister who is in the chair at the moment has chosen to see it through to this place. One of the things that will make a difference is the national multiple-use consent which is provided for in this legislation. 
National may have had some sort of epiphany and realised that housing affordability is complex and quite hard and the fact that National just shot slogans and clichés at the issue when it was in Opposition is now relegated to history. I am delighted that National has now come to the realisation that this bill will enhance housing affordability for New Zealanders. The idea of having multiple consents for standardised houses is not anathema to the national psyche or character albeit we very much love our own customised windows and doors which is part of the problem that makes houses so expensive in New Zealand. But it will not be the death of our individualistic culture as National used to rail against when it was in Opposition. 
However I could not let this bill go past this stage without drawing its origins to the attention of the Government and this Committee of the whole House because the bill will make a difference to housing affordability. I congratulate the Government on coming to its senses and recognising that this bill is one of the pieces of the armoury that is required if we are ever going to return to having achievable house prices in this country. Mr Williamson has my support entirely with this legislation. He should not forget where it came from. I appreciate the tributes that have been offered to Shane Jones. That is a generous and genuine thing Mr Williamson has done and that National speakers have done. But let us not forget that the purpose of this bill was to reduce house prices through reducing consent prices and that is good for New Zealand.