Turei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11246. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Tū ai a ia i runga i te mana o āna korero katoa?[Does he stand by all his statements?]Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.Metiria Turei: Is it possible that contrary to what the Prime Minister said on The Paul Henry Show this morning New Zealanders have registered all of National’s failed housing policies because they are the ones being outbid at auctions by speculators living in cars and garages and waiting desperately for a State house?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think what is true is that the Government has had a very extensive response to housing issues in Auckland. There will be more coming in that area but that is a lot for anyone to comprehend at one time. People in this Parliament might hear those things but I doubt that the average New Zealander would know the full list of all the things we have done. The Government’s job is to continue to communicate that.Metiria Turei: Well is it not true that despite this full list of his not one single measure of his has reduced house prices for families or housed the more than 30000 New Zealanders who are living today in severe housing deprivation; every one of his half measures has failed?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member is quite incorrect. If one looks at a whole bunch of things—for instance over 600 people have left a Housing New Zealand home because of renewable tenancies and that has allowed other New Zealanders to go into those homes. There are 134 tenants and their families moving into social housing every single week and 17 new social houses a week are being built. The Government has announced that $41 million will be available for emergency support and starting initially from 1 September but on an annual basis it will be brought forward on 1 July. It is simply not true that the Government is not addressing those issues for New Zealanders. Along with the $10 billion of support it provides for low-income New Zealanders every year.Metiria Turei: What is the point of kicking out a family from a Housing New Zealand house and then making them rack up $100000 of debt to Work and Income for a motel?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: People who leave under renewable tenancies do so because they are in a position to pay market rent and actually I think that makes—Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was not the issue raised in my question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The—Metiria Turei: Kicking a family out of a Housing New Zealand house is not dealing—Mr SPEAKER: The question was heard. I heard it and now we will allow the Prime Minister a chance to answer it.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: So the reason that people leave a Housing New Zealand home on a renewable tenancy is that they are able to pay market-related rents and that is a very sensible policy because (a) they are in a better financial position to be able to pay their private rent and allow a more needy family to move in. There is also the reason that people leave because they do not need the size of the house but I might add that this Government has done what no other Government has done and that is to extend income-related rents to social housing providers to allow even more New Zealanders to access a cheaper home.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister still did not answer—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No. I think on this—[Interruption] Order! The Prime Minister certainly addressed the question though clearly not to the member’s satisfaction. The way to progress the matter is to ask further supplementary questions.Metiria Turei: What is the point of having beneficiaries racking up huge debts to Work and Income for motels when they could be being housed in proper State homes and paying rent and is that not yet another obvious failure of his housing policy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No. It is one of the reasons why the Government has allocated $41 million that people can access for emergency support. It is in fact now a grant not a loan.Metiria Turei: Is it not true that that grant is for only 7 days in a motel and that families are having to spend months and months racking up huge debts to Work and Income because his Government is failing to provide them with a decent house?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In answer to the last part of the question no that is not correct.