Williams Poto: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilliams Poto: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 23 September 2015. Volume:709;Page:6929. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.POTO WILLIAMS (Labour—Christchurch East) to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector: Does she believe that community housing providers with programmes that include homeownership should be able to be defined as charities based on the definition of charitable purpose within the Charities Act 2005?Hon JO GOODHEW (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector): The High Court has found that it is acceptable for charities to operate homeownership models under certain criteria. The Department of Internal Affairs is now working with a small number of registered charities to ensure that they meet the charitable purpose test. If necessary the department will advise them on how to reorganise their activities to ensure that they can remain charitable.Poto Williams: Is she aware that Community Housing Aotearoa has said that the Government’s solution “doesn’t resolve the fundamental issue” and that charities “will need to spend more time and money navigating the new regime of tax exemption outside of the Charities Act.” instead of providing houses?Hon JO GOODHEW: What I am aware of is that this is quite a complex situation. This Government is completely focused on assisting community housing providers. That is uppermost in our minds. For that reason the Department of Internal Affairs is working with what is now a small number of organisations—50 organisations—to assist them in determining how to continue with their work alongside the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.Poto Williams: Given that social housing by community service providers is one of the priorities of her Government and given Paula Bennett’s comments yesterday on Television One that she is “more than happy to have another look at the legislation” why has the Minister not started a review of “charitable purpose” under the Act?Hon JO GOODHEW: Cabinet has already agreed to not review the definition of “charitable purpose” under the Charities Act. [Interruption] However it may be a surprise to those opposite that each Minister has a variety of different legislation in their portfolio. Minister Bennett and I will work together to further the Government’s purpose of supporting community housing and Minister Bennett certainly has legislation that she will be able to work on in that regard.Poto Williams: Why does she not just work with Paula Bennett so that a charitable trust in Northland can provide homes for people who really need them?Hon JO GOODHEW: I can assure the member that I am working with Minister Bennett that Charities Services within the Department of Internal Affairs is working with He Korowai Trust and that in fact it has been working with the trust for a very long time. We remain completely focused on furthering the work of community housing providers. We will assist them to overcome the barriers that they are facing because that is a priority for us.Poto Williams: Will the Minister advocate for change to the definition of “charitable purpose” as defined by the Charities Act 2005?Hon JO GOODHEW: Had the member been listening I have answered that already but I will repeat for the member that Cabinet has decided that we will not be reviewing the “charitable purpose” in the Charities Act. However that is not the end of the matter. There is currently legislation sitting on the Order Paper if the member chooses to have a look at it that will give other options to organisations for which their purpose is community housing and most definitely that will remain our priority.