Lotu-Iiga Sam: Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLotu-Iiga Sam: Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 16 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:10057. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie): Talofa lava. It is a pleasure to stand to take a call on this bill the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill because this bill is critical to the agenda that our Government has to help those in need to help deliver quality services and to help provide an environment where jobs and opportunities are readily available.I support the extensive work that our Minister of Housing the Hon Dr Nick Smith is doing in this area. He has outlined some of the key steps around reforming housing in this country. I am also glad that Mr Twyford is supporting this bill. I do not knowwhether Mr Twyford is really supporting the bill or whether he is following instructions from Mayor Len Brown to support his part in this accord.You will hear the cries of protest from Mr Twyford and the other Opposition members. These simplistic creatures as the Attorney-General calls them wish to attack that which they do not understand. But what New Zealanders understand is that over the course of the last Labour Government house prices ballooned interest rates skyrocketed and ordinary Kiwi families were pitched further and further out of the housing market.From 1999 to 2008 interest rates went up from just under 3 percent to over 8 percent. Inflation went from just above zero in 2000 to over 3 percent in 2008. Median house prices in Auckland went from $235000 in 1999 to almost double—$450000—in 2008. So it is no wonder hard-working New Zealand families were unable to get on the ladder of property ownership under the last Labour Government. Let us compare that with the John Key - led National Government. We have delivered the lowest interest rates for over 50 years and the lowest inflation since 1999—it is under 1 percent. We have continued economic growth on the back of a global economic crisis. That is better than many of our trading partners across the globe.But those members opposite have a shameful record on housing leaving some of our most vulnerable families on the scrap heap of inadequate old cold and mouldy State and social housing. That is their record. That is their legacy from the last time they were over here on the Government benches and I would say that Michael Joseph Savage would be disgusted at the contempt that the current Labour front benches—Grant Robertson: What Michael Joseph Savage would hate Sam is a Government that sold 50000 State houses.Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —like Mr Robertson—have for hard-working New Zealand families. I have seen it in my own electorate of Maungakiekie and in Tamaki where our National Government has had to transform the local housing stock to make it warmer cleaner and larger for those in need Mr Robertson. The Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme has provided insulation for over 230000 families. I see that the Hon Gerry Brownlee is here. He was instrumental in improving the lives of those families across this country and this Budget improves the lives of 40000 more. You cannot trust Labour on housing—[Interruption]—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): Order!Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —just like you cannot trust Labour on the economy.In 2005 and the Speaker knows it the Labour Party was talking about sustainable housing supply affordability and housing quality yet it did nothing. It issued reports it had a bunch of meetings a couple of hui workshops and policy discussions and all the time that Grant Robertson Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins were merrily skipping around the Beehive tugging at the apron strings of “Mother Helen” real New Zealanders were hurting real New Zealanders wanted some action and real New Zealanders got nothing.Real New Zealanders wanted a Government that cared about the issues that mattered to them. They got that in 2008 when they installed this pragmatic stable and forward-looking National Government. National has a busy programme of housing policies that will make a real difference to New Zealanders. We are addressing the root causes as the Minister alluded to and freeing up land supply through this bill. We are launching an inquiry into building materials and construction costs and substantive changes to the Resource Management Act are coming up. We are working on development levies and better coordination of core infrastructure.We cannot say the same about the Labour Party. It has come up with this gimmick of a policy called KiwiBuild—100000 homes in 10 years all at the plum price of$300000 per home. Well Mr Twyford says that we are spooked by that but what New Zealanders are really asking is how the Labour-Green plan will be able to build a house in Auckland for $300000 when the average land price alone is $350000. [Interruption] What are they going to put on these sections Mr Twyford? A tent? Maybe one of those playhouses from Toyworld.With respect Labour members’ slogans will not meet the needs of real New Zealanders looking for real homes. Unless they address the issue of land supply which this bill does their policy like many of their policies will be consigned to the depths of the nearest recycling bin. On the other hand our Government is clearly working with the Auckland Council so that we can address land supply and housing affordability issues and get that across the line in the near future. Our Minister has laid out our expectations for the housing sector and we are not ashamed to be ambitious but also realistic.What the Productivity Commission talked about in its report are current land restrictions charging for infrastructure and looking at excessive building costs and low productivity. The International Monetary Fund Treasury and the Reserve Bank have all said so much and that is why we are acting right now. This Government stands on its record. The Budget delivers more for all New Zealanders ensuring a bolder brighter and better future. This bill will deliver New Zealand’s largest city with the opportunity to meet the housing needs of thousands of families who need affordable housing. I commend this bill to the House.