Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): Madam Chair I'm not at all surprised that the Minister coughed and spluttered his way through those 10 minutes given the embarrassment that he is to his party and to himself over the debate for these estimates. I sought a piece of information from the library and it was this: how many times did that member and that party promise 10000 homes a year—10000 homes a year? The answer is—I've found 167 news clips in which they promised 10000 homes per year. The extraordinary part about which every member opposite should be hiding their heads in shame is the press release from the member last week that said that by the end of the next financial year which is 20 months into this Government they will have built a thousand—20 months and they've achieved a thousand? Look I was just gobsmacked at the audacity of the Minister to promise so much and to deliver so little.At the core of the housing issue is getting more houses built. Let's look at the financial year under review: 31200 homes built. That's more homes that have been built in this country than for 30 years. Every year in fact for the last five years we've seen an annual growth of between 15 and 20 percent or between an additional 2000 and 3000 houses each year—that is five years ago we were building 14000 houses a year; we then went to 17000; 20000; 23000; 24000; 27000; and when we left Government 31000 homes a year were being built. Members opposite for all their rhetoric the best that they have said to this House is that they're going to build a thousand houses over a year and three-quarters and I say that is truly pathetic.I then want to come to the issue of the quality of our housing. Let's compare the record: if we include this financial year for review under National we've insulated 320000 homes—320000 homes including every single State house. Well how does that compare with Labour's previous record? During Labour's last nine years in Government they did a total of 30000—that is less than 10 percent. For me to take lectures from members opposite about understanding the importance of the quality and insulation of homes I say give me a break.Here's the real challenge: in the Budget we will be watching very closely to what degree they lift that pace of home insulation. We passed a bill that requires every house that is rented to be insulated by July next year—every single house. Here's my worry: these guys are sitting on their hands doing nothing and I've got my doubts. For all their criticism that they made of that target they have done absolutely zero—absolutely zero—in six months to ensure that that timetable is met and that deadline. I'll make a bet to members opposite: for all your grizzling that my timetable of having every rented home insulated by 1 July next year—I'll make a bet right now for the best bottle of Nelson wine that the Government opposite will not meet that target. If you go out and talk to the real world of people that do this work you know the number of homes that are being insulated is slowing under this Government not growing. It is slowing and that is where this Government has been deficient.The last point I'd make is this: Mr Twyford has said on numerous occasions—and he's right and we agree—that the issue of urban boundaries is critical to housing affordability. That's why right now there isn't a housing affordability issue in Christchurch. Rents are dropping.Jo Hayes: That's right.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: There are ample affordable houses as my colleague from Christchurch Jo Hayes says. Why is it for all his promise of removing the urban rural boundary that that member has not produced a single bill on housing in his six months?