2. Housing Auckland—Crown Building ProjectANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterHousing Auckland—Crown Building Project2. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Did the Minister for Social Housing consult with him before announcing a housing plan without being able to say how many of the houses will be affordable?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): In answer to the first part of the question yes I was consulted over announcing the Crown building project to replace 8300 houses in Auckland with 34000 new purpose-built houses over 10 years—a detailed plan that will be executed unlike the Labour Party's policy of 100000 houses for which it has now discovered it has no land.Andrew Little: Can he confirm that the population of Auckland is growing at over 40000 a year now and he is promising just 400 affordable houses a year under his plan—one new affordable house for every 100 new Aucklanders?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The key to affordability of housing in Auckland is simply more houses getting built and more houses on the ground. And the other key is the new Auckland Unitary Plan which now actually does mean the council will be able to consent lower value houses because under the old plans it simply could not happen.Andrew Little: Does he now agree that there is a housing crisis or does he agree with his Minister Alfred Ngaro that it is just manufactured by the media?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I know that one of the blockages to getting more houses built in Auckland right now—Phil Twyford: It's the Salvation Army isn't it?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: No no it is the Labour Party because today it is going to vote against the Point England Development Enabling Bill which would enable thousands more houses to be built and it continues to oppose the Three Kings development which would allow—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The level of interjection from one member particularly on the front bench on my left is simply too loud.Andrew Little: Does he think young people could afford houses if they just cut down on smashed avocado and coffee?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think it would be more likely they could afford houses if the Labour Party stopped opposing the actual building of houses in Auckland. [Interruption] Well the Labour Party has held up the Three Kings development for 3 years and today will vote against the Point England Development Enabling Bill which is a key to the Tāmaki development where up to 8000 houses will be built.Andrew Little: Putting aside his realisation after 9 years of Government that there is actually a housing crisis and given his answers today and Minister Adams' bungling last week is it any wonder John Armstrong says that his Government is lurching from chaotic to shambolic" on housing while Labour has a "clear and coherent package of interlocking policies …"?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Much as I respect John Armstrong I disagree with him and the member may not be surprised to know that. But I will tell you what is chaotic and shambolic. It is promising to build 100000 houses and then realising you do not have the land to build them on it is promising to build 100000 houses with no money and it is promising to build 100000 houses but opposing the actual building of actual houses in Point England and in the Three Kings development where the Labour Party is the main obstacle to thousands of houses being built. So everything else it says is inconsistent with its actual behaviour.Andrew Little: If he wants a housing policy that will actually work why does he not just take Labour's housing plan? He could lose himself in it and they will not even sue him for copyright.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: For the reason that the policy has no credibility.Phil Twyford: Unlike building houses on farms.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Promising to build houses and then realising you have no land a fairly vital component and no money another vital component would not be so bad except that when people are genuinely trying to build thousands of houses in Auckland in Point England and the Three Kings the Labour Party is leading the opposition to those two large-scale developments."