Wall LouisaLOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa): Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare. Finally over the last adjournment break we had an admission by the Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett that in hindsight the Government could have acted earlier to address the housing crisis that we have in our country.I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Haami Mānahi also known as Sam" and "Bonz" who died on the steps of the Manurewa Methodist Church over the adjournment and also Keith Johnson who died on a bench in St Peter's Cemetery in Onehunga. Both these people were homeless New Zealanders—homeless Aucklanders—who were part of the over 750 Aucklanders living on the streets.I think it is time that we reflected because for Yale University to put out over the adjournment an international study that has given New Zealand the gold medal for homelessness is actually a disgusting situation for our country to be in. It is absolutely appalling that what we will be renowned for around the world is our rate of homelessness. I think it is really important that we reflect on that and try to understand where and why this has happened.We know that when this National Government came into power in 2008 we had 69000 State houses and today we have 64000 State houses. So over the last 9 years the National Government has actively divested itself of State houses.What are State houses for? State houses are there to meet the needs of the most vulnerable New Zealanders. Currently we have 5353 New Zealand families on the waiting list—3700 have been deemed at risk by the Ministry of Social Development and of those 2400 have children.I want to highlight an incredible contributor to our community a man called Major Campbell Roberts who in June this year said that he had a conversation with now Prime Minister Bill English in 2010. At that time Bill English was not only the finance Minister but also the Minister responsible for the Housing New Zealand Corporation. What did Bill English say to Major Campbell Roberts in 2010? He said that we had a looming housing crisis and that in 2016 and 2017 we would feel the impact of that crisis. So it has become the prophesy of our now Prime Minister Bill English that we would have a looming housing crisis.In October 2014 in response to questions from Simon Collins in the New Zealand Herald about the proceeds from selling State houses—what we are going to do with that money—Bill English said: "I mean if we want less stock there's not much point in rebuilding stock with it." So this National Government has actively divested itself of the responsibility of providing houses to those most in need those most vulnerable New Zealanders. So what has it done since 2014? Actually it has tried to sell State houses. It has tried to sell them to the Salvation Army. It has tried to sell them to the Methodist Mission. It has tried to sell them to Australians so that they could come over to New Zealand and administer that stock for the Government.We should not forget that in 2011 the mandate of the Housing New Zealand Corporation changed. It went from being a provider for our most vulnerable integrated with the Ministry of Social Development to being a landlord. So essentially this Government has chosen not to contribute to providing housing to those most vulnerable New Zealanders which actually has resulted in the amazing levels of homelessness that we are seeing in New Zealand today.People out there listening: this National Government has created homelessness. Over the 9 years that it has been in power if it had invested what it should have we should actually have 87000 State houses in this country. We would not have people on waiting lists we would not have people living homeless on our streets and we would not have New Zealanders dying. We know that you lose 20 years of your life by living on the streets. This Government—it is its shame and its legacy that will live on in the name of Prime Minister Bill English.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."