Twyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 09 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6437. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister responsible for HNZC: Why has the Government extracted more than half a billion dollars in dividends from Housing NZ when there are over 3000 people on the waiting list children dying in cold damp homes and a shortage of houses?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister responsible for HNZC): Because funding decisions around social housing are based on the needs of the most vulnerable not on the dividend paid by Housing New Zealand in any particular year. For instance the Government has in every year since 2009-10 spent at least $100 million more per year than the best year that the Labour Government was in charge of Housing New Zealand Corporation and that is because we have had to spend a lot of money to catch up with the damage done by Labour to the State housing stock. The number of people assisted is now determined by the flow of income-related rents. The Government is forecast to spend $774 million this year—up from $718 million last year—and we are looking to purchase 3000 new income-related rent places over the next 3 years.Phil Twyford: Why was 2-year-old Emma-Lita Bourne allowed to die in a cold damp State house after her mother repeatedly requested improvements to the house if as he says Housing New Zealand has all the money it needs to make the repairs?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am not going to discuss the details of that particular case but I think the member does make a valid point. That is that the way the State housing stock has been managed for a number of decades but particularly under the last Labour Government means we have thousands of houses that are not appropriate for the tenants. That is why we have a social housing reform programme—because we have to undo decades of damage that has left our most vulnerable people in houses that are not always suitable for them.Jami-Lee Ross: What steps is Housing New Zealand taking to help deliver more homes that are warm dry and safe?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Last year Housing New Zealand spent $400 million on maintaining and upgrading State houses—much higher than any previous Government has ever spent and $100 million more than the Labour Government ever did when it was in charge. We have also insulated—Hon Member: It’s getting worse.Hon BILL ENGLISH: Well we had to insulate 280000 houses to make up for what the Labour Government did not do. We had to retrofit 48000 houses with insulation. We had to provide heating in 10000 homes that Labour left without any heating. We had to install thermal curtains in 17000 homes that Labour left—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Phil Twyford: Does he agree with Guyon Espiner that after 7 years we have all had enough of National Ministers blaming the last Labour Government?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I do not always agree with Guyon Espiner but I have to say that even I have been amazed at how negligent the previous Labour Government was. We could have spent hundreds of millions on new homes but we had to spend it on insulating 280000 public and private sector homes and providing heating for 10000 houses. I feel sorry for those tenants and I wish we had been able to do more faster but the Labour Party should—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The answer has gone on for long enough.Phil Twyford: When he said that Housing New Zealand has made 126000 health and safety repairs in the last year did this include the contractors who dealt with a mould problem by nailing a piece of plywood over the top of it in the home of Te Ao Marama Wensor whose son Iriah has holes in his lungs and has suffered strokes due to the toxic mould?Hon BILL ENGLISH: It may have done. That is quite possible which tells us about how much work needs to be done on the State housing stock and the system that runs it. That is why we believe we need other providers who help to set higher levels. But in the case of the person whom the member has mentioned of course those kinds of cases are now taken very seriously by a range of agencies. If he is willing to provide details then we can take action to improve that situation.Phil Twyford: Why does he choose to pocket the $0.5 billion dividend and sell houses to merchant bankers and property developers instead of building new State houses and fixing up the ones that are killing the children when on his watch the number of State houses has been cut 2000 houses lie empty and there are 3000 families on the waiting list? That is your record Bill.Hon BILL ENGLISH: Here is the record. In 2006-07 Labour spent $55 million building houses. This year we are spending $180 million building houses. That is the difference in commitment. Labour did not build new State houses; we are.Hon Craig Foss: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sitting almost directly behind the Minister. I can hardly hear him because of the interjections from the other side.Grant Robertson: Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from Grant Robertson.Grant Robertson: I appreciate that there was a lot of noise there but what the Standing Orders talk about is comments in the House that will lead to disorder. Every answer from the Acting Prime Minister referred to the last Labour Government instead of him taking responsibility for his actions. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not need any assistance from the member. The answers were certainly robust but I consider very carefully what is in the question and the tone of the question. When a question asks about a Government with a policy to sell to merchant bankers and then accuses houses of killing children etc. that is an inflammatory type of question that inevitably will get a robust answer in this House.