Twyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 22 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7503. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she believe that community housing providers will have to be commercial in order to be sustainable?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): Yes. It kind of makes sense that to be financially sustainable into the future as they are growing their portfolios they may need to be commercial in their outlook as well.Phil Twyford: Are chirping birds in the neighbours’ trees a truly representative reason some people are turning down State houses or is the real reason that cold damp mouldy houses are making their children sick?Hon PAULA BENNETT: We have a number of declines—about 3500 in any one year—and about 12 percent of them are not for good and sufficient reasons. So one would say that the other over 3000 of them are and some of them might be those reasons. We take that into consideration to make sure that we are keeping people in the types of houses they need to be in and that they are still connected to jobs and schools. But there are some who are turning down houses who should not be. In the meantime we have people in dire need who actually need those houses and they should have access to them.Phil Twyford: Why does she constantly engage in snide attacks on the most vulnerable citizens when the reality is that under her Government there are more Kiwis than ever before living in campgrounds and garages while she leaves 2000 State houses vacant?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well I just say: “Look in the mirror ‘Mr Snide’.”Phil Twyford: Is she surprised that community housing providers are cynical about her approach given that she started off saying the State house sell-off was all about building up local community groups and now the Government is courting property developers merchant bankers and Australian companies?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well we have always thought it would take a consortium to help actually grow the community housing providers so that we can have a range of skills that are needed. As I said this morning to Community Housing Aotearoa it is very good with people and that is its strength and its tenancy management. What it may need to do is to go into a consortium with banks so that it can actually see that portfolio grow and that makes perfect sense. In fact I have quotes from the member where last year in his speech he said: “Your members have shown you can build good-quality homes at a very affordable price. You can leverage private sector investment.” And that was Phil Twyford.Phil Twyford: Why should the public believe her spin about improving the lives of tenants when the Government has taken half a billion dollars out of Housing New Zealand leaving 2000 houses vacant while Kiwi families are living in campgrounds and has cut the number of State houses by a thousand in net since it came—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question is quite long enough.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well we are housing more people in better-quality homes and that is why the wait list is going down. We have spent $600000 to date on housing support products that help people into the private market. Just this year alone we have seen actually the amount that we are spending on the income-related rent go up by $75 million and that is making an absolute difference for those people. I know that the member would like it all to stay the same and he thinks that the status quo is good enough. But it is actually not good enough for the people who need our help. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Phil Twyford will stand withdraw and apologise for that remark. [Interruption]Then he will leave the Chamber.Phil Twyfordwithdrew from the Chamber.