1. Question No. 1—HousingBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of HousingORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Housing1. BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Housing: What actions if any will she take in response to revelations that an upcoming political candidate was used in a Kāinga Ora promotion and does she believe the culture of Kāinga Ora is upholding what is expected of the Public Service?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): I have already taken actions. On 3 August my office wrote to Kāinga Ora in response to receiving a departmental Official Information Act request that Kāinga Ora was processing. That email outlined my concerns that the conduct reflected in the information release did not meet my expectations for how Kāinga Ora should operate. In particular I emphasised that my expectation was that Kāinga Ora should operate on the same basis that I do: once you know something you cannot un-know it. I also made explicit in my email that Kāinga Ora fell well short of my expectations in dealing with this. I have also discussed the matter with the chair of Kāinga Ora who is clear that what happened was wrong and is committed to ensuring it never happens again. And finally as a belts and braces approach I requested the Public Service Commission for some advice on whether anything further needs to be done.Brooke van Velden: Will she hold an independent inquiry into the culture of Kāinga Ora and if not why not?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As I indicated in answer to my primary question I have taken the precautionary approach of asking the Public Service Commission for some advice on whether anything further needs to be done. In terms of this instance as I've made clear it fell well short of my expectations. Point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table an email from my office dated 3 August to Kāinga Ora making clear that the conduct described in the questions fell well short of my expectations.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There appears to be none. Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Brooke van Velden: Does she agree that senior Kāinga Ora staff were attempting to cover up the politicisation of a Government agency in the promotion of a future Labour Party candidate and if not how would she categorise this statement made by a senior Kāinga Ora staff member She's understandably nervous about people perceiving this as her electioneering ahead of her campaign announcement [but] we can just act as though we don't know anything!"?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I think what that statement shows is that the candidate in question did everything that she needed to do to inform the agency that she was seeking selection for a political party. As I've made clear in answers to subsequent questions to the member the way in which it was handled by the department fell well short of my expectations. In particular I have already written to the department saying it is simply not possible to un-know something once you know it and I expect the agency to adhere to that principle.Nicola Willis: Can she confirm she in fact learnt about this conduct in June according to emails released by Kāinga Ora and why has it taken until today for her to engage the Public Service Commission into what are grave matters of integrity in the housing entity she is responsible for?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On 23 July my office was copied into Arena Williams' reply to Kāinga Ora's consultation on information to be released. As I've said in the House on 3 August as soon as I read the Official Information Act request and the documents that came through to my office I sent an email to the organisation. My reason for contacting the Public Service Commission today is that responses to media queries over the last 24 hours by the agency suggest to me they're not taking the matter as seriously as it needs to be.Brooke van Velden: How can New Zealanders have faith in the culture of Kāinga Ora when part of its half-million - dollar deal for advertorial content was arranged publication of a future Labour Party candidate that senior staff knew about?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The public can have faith in Kāinga Ora not only because it is delivering on housing for New Zealanders but also as I indicated in the answer to the primary question that the chair of Kāinga Ora Vui Mark Gosche has made it clear that what has happened is wrong it cannot happen again and it is the board's responsibility to ensure that it does not happen again.Brooke van Velden: What does it say of the standards of this Government if she won't hold an inquiry but simply writes a letter and can she describe what actions she would find unacceptable enough for her to open an inquiry?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: What it says about this Government is that when we proactively see a problem we take action on it. On 3 August I wrote to Kāinga Ora exercising my ministerial duty to make it clear that the behaviour and conduct was well short of my expectations. Furthermore when I saw responses to media queries over the last 24-hour period that I felt were not of the standard that I expected I did contact the Public Service Commission and asked them for some advice.Nicola Willis: What responsibility does she take for allowing a culture to emerge at Kāinga Ora that made this sort of unethical conduct acceptable not only to a senior communications adviser but to a general manager?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I take my responsibilities very seriously and that's exactly why I wrote to the organisation on 3 August making it clear that this was well short of my expectations as the responsible Minister. It is exactly why I raised the matter with the chief executive. It's exactly why I raised the matter with the chair of the board."