Dean Jacqui; Woods MeganHon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): There were in fact three questions that were unanswered by the Minister in the chair the Hon Megan Woods and I know this because I took a note of them on the way through. And so I can assume several things. I can assume that the Minister doesn't want to answer them I can assume that the Minister cannot answer them or I can assume that the Minister's paperwork is a little informal which means that the Minister has overlooked to answer them. And in light of the fact that this Estimates examination is a conversation I am very happy for the Minister to get to her feet and answer each question as it is posed which will allow perhaps a more efficient process from the Opposition's point of view because after all this examination is the Opposition's opportunity to ask questions of the Minister. So I will go through those questions again and I invite—I am very happy to ask one at a time but I do have several outstanding. I have three outstanding so I'm very happy to ask one at a time and hopefully that will facilitate the Minister. Having already asked those questions several minutes ago I'm quite sure that will enable the Minister to respond to each question as it is posed. So I did ask how many KiwiBuild houses have been built to date in this term of Government.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): Thank you and apologies. I did have that sitting there to answer and more than happy to answer it. The total number built to date has been 452. That's an additional 57 this month. Of course there's been two months where there haven't been additions to the KiwiBuild tally—to be expected when construction ceased under COVID restrictions. But also this dashboard is to be released later this afternoon so this is hot off the press: 278 State houses were also built in this period and eight community houses and Kāinga Ora also built 61 market houses.Hon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): Just to refresh the committee what was the original target number for KiwiBuild houses to be constructed in this term of Parliament?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): As the member is well aware in September of last year we did a reset where actually we did away with the targets that were set. So in terms of how we're tracking against the target the target was as many as we can as quickly as we can so I think we're tracking pretty well.Hon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): Thank you. Why did the Government give away the target in September last year against the target they set for this term of Government?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): Of course being forward-looking Estimates questions here—but I'm happy to traverse some of the reasons because I think they are important as to why it was that we did away with the target. What we were seeing was that actually the emphasis around KiwiBuild needing to be around building the right house in the right place wasn't being fulfilled by the perpetual chasing of a target. What we saw was some perverse outcomes where some homes were built or acquired because there was the pursuit of the target. We as a Government—and what we are indicating in these Estimates that we are here to debate today—are a Government that is committed to ensuring we are helping New Zealanders into affordable homeownership and we need to ensure that we are building the right house in the right place. The fact that we have sold over time over 500 houses to first-home buyers that have been helped into affordable homeownership is a record that actually we can be pretty proud of in one three-year term of Government when we reflect that the previous Government over nine years helped only 100 people through their special housing areas into affordable homeownership through the provision of specially priced affordable housing. So we will continue to build as many houses as we can as quickly as we can because I know when I go around the country and I meet some of the individuals and families who are having this ability for homeownership that they wouldn't otherwise have been able to have how much it is transforming their lives.