Twyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10749. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Building and Housing: Does he stand by his reported statement that the housing crisis is a media beat-up?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): No because the reports were inaccurate.Phil Twyford: Which of the following ministerial descriptions of the housing crisis does he prefer: “over hyped by the media” as he said this week; “a challenge” as the Prime Minister has said; or “a top-tier issue” as Simon Bridges called it?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government’s position is that it is not a crisis but that there is a challenge. New Zealand is doing so well that it is attracting New Zealanders home and an increasing number of people want to live in New Zealand and as a consequence of that good-news story we need to make sure that we build more houses. That is a key priority for the Government.Phil Twyford: When the IMF said that New Zealand had the world’s second-fastest growth in house prices at the end of last year and Fitch Ratings said that New Zealand has the most unaffordable housing in the world was that media hype?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I would note on the IMF chart—if that was to be the test—that the most affordable houses and the best places to live are Syria Greece and Spain. Actually this Government’s ambition is not to be like any of those three countries.Phil Twyford: When the Bay of Plenty Times reported that a 60-year-old woman faced living in her car because the caravan park where she has been living for the past 7 months is closing down was that media hype?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I would remind that member that when we applied the special housing areas to the Bay of Plenty he said that it was a waste of time and that I should focus on Auckland. Actually that was a member who was not in favour of the measures that this Government is taking in regional New Zealand with programmes like HomeStart and the special housing areas which actually recognise that this issue is about more than Auckland.Phil Twyford: When the New Zealand Herald said that housing solutions “cannot be expected from a government that has been in office long enough to have considered them.” and that “The housing problem has reached the proportions that require fresh thinking from a government elected to do something about it.” was that media hype?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I agree that there is more that the Government wishes to do in the housing area. That is why on 1 April last year we introduced the most generous support in a generation for first-home buyers.Grant Robertson: It’s not working.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Well actually 12000 Kiwis in the last 12 months have had a grant from this Government to support them into a house. If we look at the labour force figures out today they show the biggest increase in the labour market of people working in house constructionever with that number more than doubling and actually this Government is making enormous progress in getting more houses built for Kiwi families.Rt Hon John Key: Can the Minister give the House some idea of the initiatives undertaken by this Government in relation to housing and contrast it with those undertaken in the period from 1999 to 2008 when house prices doubled in Auckland?Mr SPEAKER: The first part of the question is in order around the housing initiatives.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I must notify the Speaker in advance that this will be a long answer. The first step this Government took was to remove depreciation for buildings which affects the demand side of investment housing. The second step the Government took was the first phase of Resource Management Act reforms. The Government then introduced the HomeStart scheme—that is a $420 million investment. The Government has provided for increased housing standards with 290000 houses insulated. There is the ongoing work around—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will sit down.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.That answer is far too long and far too wrong. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: I just need to deal with that point of order. On this occasion the member is right. It was far too long and I was moving to curtail it but I will be the judge of the length of answers.Rt Hon John Key: Notwithstanding the Minister’s inability to get all of the new initiatives out in one answer would he describe that as fresh thinking?Mr SPEAKER: Very quickly.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes there is fresh thinking. It is interesting Prime Minister that when we introduced the housing accords and special housing areas parties opposite who today grizzle about housing vigorously opposed each of those measures to grow housing supply and whether it is increasing apprenticeship numbers whether it is in terms—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member can take a slot in the general debate very very shortly.