1. Emergency Housing—Availability and Motel UseANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSEmergency Housing—Availability and Motel Use1. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement on the housing crisis that I wouldn't call it a crisis. We have strong demand we have an uplift in prices—these are good problems to have actually"?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): Yes and as I said in that interview the Government is spending over $300 million in emergency housing to provide an extra 2150 emergency housing places around New Zealand—enough to support 8000 families a year. Of course getting more houses built faster would be easier if the Labour Party was not organising opposition to two of the large new developments in Auckland in Three Kings Quarry and the Point England Reserve.Andrew Little: What does he say to the Salvation Army which is now turning away two to three homeless families a day saying: "We've got nowhere to send them."?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I would say to the Salvation Army—first to thank it for the way it is working very closely with the Government along with the other NGOs in Auckland to get more houses on the ground faster but of course both the Government and the Salvation Army would find it easier if the Labour Party was not organising opposition to the Three Kings development which I think is 1500 homes and the Point England Reserve which is also hundreds of homes—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The answer has gone on for long enough. Andrew Little: After the heartbreaking scenes last winter of families sleeping in cars and garages and the promises from his Government to fix the issue why is the crisis still getting worse?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I said to the member the Salvation Army and others are working very closely with the Government around getting the $300 million spent. Money is not really the constraint here; it is the ability to get the houses and the non-government organisations on the ground able to execute. Of course we would all find it easier if the Labour Party was not opposing developments—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In all three of the Prime Minister's answers he has introduced material that is irrelevant and for which he is not responsible. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I do not agree with the member. The original question talked about a housing crisis. The Prime Minister has taken the opportunity of addressing what he thinks is part of the problem. One of the questions was "What would he say to the Salvation Army?" and I suspect that if the Prime Minister was talking to the Salvation Army he would be saying exactly the things he is saying in these answers.Andrew Little: Putting aside the Labour Party's longstanding support for the Hobsonville project and the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company what effect has the State house sell-off had on the stock of State houses available today and—just be straight with me—are there more or fewer than when we started?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Because of the reforms of traditional State housing we now have a great deal more interest in providing social housing: more capital more expertise and thousands of them being built. But of course we also need the development at Three Kings which the Labour Party members are opposing and the Point England Reserve development which they supported before they changed their minds and now oppose. So how could they possibly get 100000 houses built if they are opposed to any development? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Andrew Little: How many families a night are staying in motels because there are not enough State houses for them?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: There are of course a number in motels and the Government's response to that issue has been to spend $300 million on emergency housing and on building and procuring significant numbers more of social houses. But of course we are competing in a market that is a bit tight because the Three Kings development has been delayed now for several years. The opposition to it has been organised by the Labour Party and now it is setting out to oppose the Point England Reserve development and undo a Treaty settlement—and that has all been organised by the Labour Party.Andrew Little: I seek leave to table a report from the Parliamentary Library hitherto unpublished and in fact unknown dated today confirming that the number of motel rooms per night that is currently being funded by the Government is 400.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that information. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Andrew Little: How many of those 400 families who have been put up in motels because he sold the State houses are now facing being booted out of the motels and on to the street because the rooms are needed for thousands of visiting tourists attending the World Masters Games and the Lions tour?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Of course the Government agencies and non-government organisations will do whatever they can to meet the needs of people who have serious housing needs. They would like to be supported by the Labour Party—Grant Robertson: You're the one not supporting it—things that you're not responsible for. Talk about what you do. You're the Government.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: —supporting development because we could get more social houses in Three Kings if the Labour Party was not opposing the development—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is little point in carrying on unless Mr Robertson ceases his barrage of interjections.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from Mr Robertson.Grant Robertson: The reason for my interjections is the Prime Minister has continued to misrepresent Labour Party positions for which he is not responsible at all.Mr SPEAKER: Order! And that is no reason for the sort of behaviour from the member and the level of his interjection. If he feels that he has been misrepresented then he knows there is a process for that. He lodges a breach of privilege via Standing Order—[Interruption] Well the member now shakes his head as if he knows that is not the case; that is the Standing Orders. Certainly the way to address it is not the way the member just did by yelling incessantly across the House. [Interruption] Order! The level of interjection from all sides is out of order and frankly out of control. It will settle down. If I need to do it with a more stringent measure then I will do so.Andrew Little: How badly has his Government failed New Zealanders when the social housing Minister's answer this morning to the housing crisis was to shrug her shoulders and say: "A motel is better than car."? Is a house really too much to ask for from this National Government?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: No. In fact Government agencies particularly in Auckland but also in other places are asking exactly to get the houses that we need. One way the Labour Party could contribute to it is to stop opposing the Point England bill going through the House because that will enable hundreds of social houses to be built. But the Labour Party is opposing it as it is opposing the Three Kings development which equally would allow for hundreds more social houses. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! That answer is quite long enough. [Interruption] Order! Order! Mr Twyford when I stand to my feet that is certainly the time for Mr Twyford to cease interjecting. Rt Hon Winston Peters: If political parties have supported 70000 net—the population of Rotorua—coming here every year without building the infrastructure including the housing of Rotorua every year why are we having this sad argument between the guilty parties?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Of course the member may not realise but the people who are—in his words—guilty are the Kiwis not leaving. Since he moved out of Government 40000 Kiwis per year more are staying in New Zealand. I would have thought that New Zealand First would regard that as success."