Heatley Phil: Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill — Second ReadingText is subject to correctionHeatley Phil: Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 07 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14516. Text is subject to correction.]Hon PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei): I rise to support this legislation the Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill. I do so because it is part of a suite of initiatives that the National-led Government is working on—and has actually begun work on the ground for—to deal with housing issues right across New Zealand.First of all of course people will be aware of the changes we have made to the Building Act to ensure that builders are up to par and able to deliver better housing with their qualifications and also changes to the structural rules around the construction of those houses. The Resource Management Act has had changes to consenting to streamline that consenting process so that developments can get under way sooner. We have also as part of the suite of options looked at land supply making sure that not only is there new greenfields land for housing around metropolitan areas and some of our cities across New Zealand but also where housing is already built on large sections those people can easily subdivide their quarter-acre and half-acre sections to provide more housing within city limits.Interestingly the Greens hate the expansion of housing out to green sort of rural areas and they push hard for densification but the minute you try to do it—even in State housing where you bowl an old cold mouldy State house on a half-acre section in order to create three sections and three houses—the Greens are right there opposing it alongside Hone Harawira. That is pretty interesting.Regarding building materials Nick Smith has announced his concerns and his programme to address the issue of costly building materials in New Zealand. Of course we have the upgrade of State housing; those State houses that were not insulated through the decades that Labour was in Government—those old cold mouldy houses—are now being insulated. Today we are talking about this proposition which forms another initiative to address the issues in housing and the social housing sector.There are some things that Labour did not do. You will recall that Labour never dealt with gangs in State houses. Do you remember the methamphetamine-producing gangs? Do you remember the gangs that would grab the pales from the white picket fences of their State houses and beat up the neighbours next door? Labour ignored the gangs in State houses. You will remember Labour ignored all those State house tenants who were subletting State houses—those shonky schemes that it never jumped on top of. You will remember Labour never insulated State houses. I believe Nick Smith is goingto see the last State house in New Zealand that can be insulated insulated this year and I congratulate him on it.You will recall Labour supported the idea—and it still supports the idea—of the State house for life. You can get a State house with four bedrooms—because you have three children—you can live in it for 20 years they can all leave home and you can sit in that State house by yourself at 55 years of age and in a job with three empty bedrooms and a half-acre section and not be required to make way for a family who is desperate for housing. How crazy is that? Labour ignores the fact that you are earning $100000 a year—you can stay in your State house. It ignores the fact that there are three empty bedrooms—you can stay in your State house. It ignores the fact that you are on a half-acre section—you can stay in your State house. It even ignores the fact that you might want to shift into a smaller State house—it still will not shift you.I support this legislation and I support what Nick Smith has done here. It is all common sense to those people out there who believe you should not have gangs cooking methamphetamine in State houses you should not have someone in a State house for 50 years if they are earning $100000 and you need to support the community housing sector. Congratulations to Nick Smith.