Heatley Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Heatley Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:640;Page:10246] 
8.  
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: Does he have confidence in Housing New Zealand Corporation; if so why? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 Yes but there is always room for improvement. 
Phil Heatley 
: How is it that a person can be allocated a State house in Mangere and at the same time own a holiday home in Russell? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I would welcome further information about that case. 
Phil Heatley 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I ask you to judge whether that is a fair answer given that the Minister gave me that information yesterday with a cover letter. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: As the member knows that is not a point of order. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Can the Minister tell the House what reports he has seen on Housing New Zealand Corporation’s efforts to improve insulation and energy efficiency in State houses? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Members do want questions to be addressed. I would remind members that we want to hear the answers please. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: We have completed 14000 energy retrofits since 2001. This is a subject that members of this House are very interested in. Last Friday for example a resident of McGehan Close in Mount Roskill told the corporation that she had been contacted by members of the National Party in Wellington who were interested in the insulation of her house. Previously she had been given a thermometer by National list MP Jackie Blue who asked her to measure the temperature of her house. As all maintenance issues at this resident’s property are being addressed she has informed the corporation that she will not respond to Jackie Blue’s request. I guess this is a vote of confidence in the corporation from one of our tenants. 
Phil Heatley 
: How is it that a person not only can get away with owning a holiday home in Russell while having a State house but also can get away with not living in the State house instead renting it out for a tidy profit to an unwitting family? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I am astonished to learn that that member claims he received a letter from me about this subject yesterday. I would like to sit down with him after question time be shown this letter and find out a bit more information about this case. It is really astonishing. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table the letter. 
Document not tabled. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table the Official Information Act request explaining these details. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Phil Heatley 
: What action has the Minister taken to investigate Housing New Zealand Corporation over this scam given that one of the neighbours has formally testified to the corporation that the tenant “gloated he knew someone in Housing; that is how he got the place.”? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Such alleged behaviour by a tenant would be totally inappropriate. I will be investigating it very carefully after question time. 
Phil Heatley 
: Was the State house tenant ever prosecuted and was an official investigation ever made into allegations that to pull off this scam the tenant had insider help from a Housing New Zealand Corporation mate? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: All sorts of allegations can be made by all sorts of people. I can assure this House that I will be looking into this case very carefully very quickly. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. What response has the Minister made to the 2006 report called  
Maori Housing Experiences: Emerging Trends and Issues 
 carried out under contract to Housing New Zealand Corporation and Te Puni Kokiri which recommended that: “Maori capability in the housing sector should be better resourced so as to support the development of Maori collective initiatives.”? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I have been concerned for some time that progress on Maori housing has not been as rapid as it could have been. Some very significant announcements to speed this up will be made in the next few weeks.