Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 01 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1777. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What assurances can he give that there will be no requirement for any existing tenant in any State house to move out of the area as a result of the Tamaki Transformation Programme for the Glen Innes redevelopment which involves reducing the number of Housing New Zealand - owned houses from 156 to 78? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 I am advised by Housing New Zealand Corporation that it will work with all tenants affected by the redevelopment to find them suitable State housing in areas they wish to live where possible. So far 68 tenants have actually decided to move early and 55 have already been relocated having been offered a number of alternative State houses to choose from which they are pleased with. I am also advised that a number of tenants wanted to move out of the area completely—they wanted to do that—and the corporation is assisting them with that. 
Hone Harawira 
: Can the Minister tell the House why the Government has broken assurances given to the Glen Innes community by chairman Pat Snedden in 2008 and Minister Pita Sharples in 2011 that there will be no requirement for any existing tenant in any State house to move out of the area and that there will be no reduction in State houses as a result of the Tamaki Transformation Programme? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I am not responsible for what was said in 2008 before I was Minister and before we were the Government. Things have changed. We no longer house criminal gangs in old cold mouldy State houses on half-acre sections where they have three empty bedrooms. In terms of the Hon Pita Sharples he is working very closely with the local community and has helped people who have wanted to remain in the area to remain in the area and where people have wanted to shift out of the area he has helped them to get State houses out of the area. Minister Sharples has been very constructive and we very much appreciate his work as does the local community. 
Hone Harawira 
: Is it Government policy to force low-income families out of Glen Innes by making them pay market rates rather than income-related rents that they can afford and how does forcing people out of their homes and selling off the land to wealthy property developers fit with Government assurances that every New Zealand family should have warm high-quality housing? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: To the first part of the question no. To the second part of the question can I reiterate that we no longer house criminal gangs in old cold mouldy State houses on half-acre sections where three bedrooms are empty. Where that is occurring we are making the changes including in Tamaki. 
Hone Harawira 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is the second time he has mentioned gangs and old mouldy homes in respect of Glen Innes. That was not the question at all; it is how does forcing— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Order! That is not a point of order. The member should resume his seat. That is simply not a point of order. 
Hone Harawira 
: Could I put it this way then— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Are you seeking a further point of order? 
Hone Harawira 
: I am. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Could you ask the Minister to answer the question about how forcing people out of their home and selling off the land to wealthy property developers fits with Government assurances that every New Zealand family should have warm high-quality housing? He did not answer the question. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I believe he did.