1. Housing Affordability and Availability—Special Housing AreasANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterWEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2016Mr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.Prayers.ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSHousing Affordability and Availability—Special Housing Areas1. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Is the Government on course to meet all the targets it has set; if not which is it missing?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): The Government has a large number of targets for the various things we want to achieve from the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband to reductions in welfare dependence and contributors to poverty. Generally we are on track but as I said when we set the Better Public Services targets they are deliberately challenging and we may not meet all of them. For many we will not know the results for a number of years so it is not feasible to give a comprehensive list of which will be missed. It is important not to make judgments too early though as the member found when he described the 2014-15 Budget surplus target as the biggest political deception … of our lifetime". How wrong he was.Andrew Little: Does he stand by his statement that "We've set targets within the Auckland Accord to ensure the city's housing supply and affordability issues are addressed."; if so what proportion of houses in special housing areas needs to be affordable to meet that target?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In answer to the first part of the question yes. In answer to the second part of the question you need to direct that to the Minister for Building and Housing.Andrew Little: After 3 years what is the minimum number of affordable houses in Auckland special housing areas sold to first-home buyers that would be acceptable to him?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have that particular data but what I am proud of is the Government's first-home buyers grant scheme through KiwiSaver HomeStart which has assisted a great many young New Zealanders into buying a first home.Andrew Little: Of the roughly 1400 houses completed in Auckland special housing areas how many have been affordable according to the definition in the Auckland Housing Accord?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have that data with me.Andrew Little: I seek leave to table a letter from the Auckland Council to my office dated 5 October 2016 showing that 18 affordable houses have been sold to first-home buyers in Auckland special housing areas. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table that particular letter from the council to Mr Little. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is objection. [Interruption] Order! [Interruption] Order! I put the leave; objection was given. There is no need to further explain why the objection was given.Andrew Little: Is just 18 affordable houses in 3 years enough—or to put it another way is that it?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member's numbers are quite incorrect. If he goes out to Hobsonville or Weymouth or a number of other projects he will see that it is considerably more than that. In fact I recall reading the front page of the New Zealand Herald on Monday where the Minister of Finance was quoted about the extensive number of affordable properties that will be sold as a result of the redevelopment of Housing New Zealand projects. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member can I have less interjection when an answer is given even if the answer is one that the Labour Opposition might object to.Andrew Little: After all the public outcry and all the official advice about the chronic housing shortage in Auckland and across New Zealand and given the thousands of young families missing out on the Kiwi Dream of homeownership does he really think 18 affordable houses in 3 years is anywhere near good enough?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: If the member wants to believe some dodgy number he is welcome to but then he believes a whole lot of dodgy numbers sometimes. If one goes and has a look at the number of houses being sold the consenting that has been going through the additional people working in housing and construction in Auckland and the number of people drawing down on first-home buyers and the like—the member will know that when I first became Prime Minister 10 houses a day were being sold in Auckland; now it is probably on its way to 45 or 50 houses and it will be considerably more next year.Andrew Little: With only 18 affordable houses sold to first-home buyers developers pulling out land bankers sitting on sites instead of building houses on them and a Minister incapable of doing his job is it not now just time to admit that National's flagship housing policy has been a complete and unmitigated disaster?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In answer to the last part of the question no that is not true. In answer to the first part of the question it is not 18 but even if it were 18 it would still be five times the number of people who voted for Andrew Little to be the leader. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Question No. 2—[Interruption] Order! I have just asked for some cooperation from my left. I will get more severe if I have to with reluctance."