Paraone Pita: Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Paraone Pita: Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:18498] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. It has been a long day. I do not know whether it was my good fortune but as a consequence of the Order Paper I had to be here at 9 o’clock this morning. Those of our fellow citizens who are working out there and making sure that our country is still alive who are travelling back from work having completed their night shift or are travelling to work to start a night shift may be interested to know that the House is now hearing the third reading of the Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Bill. I stand on behalf of New Zealand First to say that we continue to support this bill. 
This country needs more affordable homes for its citizens. The bill provides for that. It is very interesting to hear critics of the bill accuse the Government of doing nothing yet here we have a bill that was introduced into the House to help the issue of affordable housing for its citizens and they still criticise the Government for it. The bill provides a vehicle for territorial local authorities which is voluntary. Those who have spoken against the bill have questioned this voluntary aspect. That then raises the question as to what the alternative is. Making it compulsory or doing nothing? 
Then we heard that those who have spoken against the bill would solve this problem with tax cuts and by controlling interest rates. Well I tell those home seekers—in fact I caution them—to please please not get sick; to be prepared to home school their children; and to talk to their neighbours and plan how they intend to protect themselves from criminals. Those are just some of the services that will be affected. But the public can rest in the knowledge that with the tax cuts they will be able to pay the tolls to travel on the roads. 
I apologise for my cynicism but here we have a bill that is intended to address a serious issue and rather than giving support to it much of the debate has been to deride it. However I appreciated comments about how developers would pass on those costs to others. When I heard those comments I pondered on the houses built in the 1950s 1960s and even 1970s and on the fact that the three-bedroom homes of that era were very much smaller than the three-bedroom homes of this day and age. I wonder whether it could be a practical solution for designers or architects to revert to the 1950s 1960s and 1970s design of homes so that we would then be able to build more on the land that is available. Now that might sound pretty simplistic but I ask members to think about it if that is the concern that people have. Quite clearly this bill is all about allowing territorial local authorities to exercise their option to take it up but it does— 
Chris Tremain 
: They can do it already. 
PITA PARAONE 
: But I say to the member that some do not and as a consequence nothing is done. Again here is another vehicle. I do not want to prolong this debate. I am quite clear on behalf of New Zealand First that we support this bill. We commend it to the House.