Whaitiri MekaMEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): E Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe tēnei te mihi ki a koe i te tau hou otirā e ngā mema o Te Whare nei ā tēnā tātau katoa.Āe he tika te kōrero o Te Minita o ngā Take Māori e mihi ana ki ngā mate kua wehe atu i te pō ko Āti Pīhopa Brown Tūrei rātou mā o ia whānau o ia marae haere haere haere atu rā.[Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker I extend New Year greetings to you but at the same time to all of us members of this House.Yes what the Minister of Māori Affairs referred to is correct and I also pay a tribute to the deaths that have departed to the void such as Archbishop Brown Tūrei and those from each family and marae; depart farewell go forth.]There are leaders there are great leaders and there is Bill English. Bill English may be the Prime Minister but he is definitely no leader. The National Party members themselves realise he is not John Key and they also realise—and have to swallow a bit of a rat in realising—that what they have got governing this country is actually the B-team.Members on this side under Andrew Little are preparing to take the Treasury benches when we come to 23 September. We are keen to take our message and our policies to the people in New Zealand. And why do I say that Andrew will be the next Prime Minister? It is because he has a history as a former union leader of standing up for people. That is what Andrew brings to the role. He also as a husband and as the father of a teenage boy realises the importance of housing affordability like many on this side do and the importance of education for the next generation. As a cancer survivor Andrew Little has a passion for making sure that we have the best possible health system in this country. So we are ready. We are ready to go to the polls. We are ready to actually show to this country what Labour can bring.My colleagues over here and I quite rightly agree that housing is a big issue that we will take to the polls—as to who has the best plan to address that. I want to in the time that I have left talk about how housing impacts the electorates the regions and my electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti which goes from the very top of the East Coast right down to Wainuiōmata. There is an absolute shortage of good rentals throughout my electorate. Pretty much 90 percent of all my constituents' issues are to do with housing. I want to share with you how it works.Literally people are trying to get on the housing waiting list but they have to show that they have actually gone out to look for private rentals. And when they literally are not there then the next best thing is that they get put into hotels. So every hotel from Napier to Gisborne is full from housing people who cannot get on the waiting list which is good and fine until you have a major event in these towns and guess what happens? Those people are out. They are either out in their cars or they are sleeping on someone's couches until the weekend or whatever the event is is over. That is the New Zealand and the legacy that this Government of the last 8 years has provided in some of the smaller towns throughout this country. That is in Gisborne that is in Napier and that is right down in Wainuiōmata—a housing shortage.I also am dismayed at some of these communities that still have Housing New Zealand houses empty and boarded up. They are empty and boarded up and yet we are being told that they are coming: Wait they're coming." Well we have been waiting for 8 years and I do not think we are going to see any difference in the next 6 months till we go to the polls. Housing is going to be a big issue.Yesterday with my colleague Stuart Nash we attended Waitangi Day and it was a great day to celebrate with our civic leaders and our iwi leaders what this country can be and has the possibility of being if we have the right leadership. But right now under this National-led Government I think too many New Zealanders are missing out—too many New Zealanders are missing out.In my final closing comments I note that we have a mirage party—I mean the Māori Party—that is constantly saying that it is sitting at the table of this Government and pushing the needs of our people. Our people will know when we go to the polls that we have rising unemployment for young Māori. We have young Māori disengaged from any learning training or employment. We have a high number of Māori who do not own their own homes and that is the legacy of this Government supported by the Māori Party. Our people will know what the truth is when we go to the polls on 23 September. Kia ora tātou."