McClay Todd: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
McClay Todd: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:656;Page:5674] 
12.  
TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What is the Government doing to assist people into homeownership? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 A range of initiatives are under way but I will focus on just one. Cabinet has recently agreed to the extension of the loan cap on the Welcome Home Loan product from $280000 to $350000. This means that first-home buyers who want or have to live in higher-value areas such as Auckland and Wellington have a great opportunity. This product will also be available to State house tenants who are very enthusiastic to move out of renting and into homeownership. Those tenants will be eligible to buy their homes and they can use this product to do that. 
Todd McClay 
: How will the extension of this product assist Maori? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: We have also extended the loan scheme to Maori who want to build on multiple-owned land. This fulfils an election promise in which we committed ourselves to give the banks the confidence to support Maori housing. The banks are reluctant at the moment to give loans because the land cannot be used as security and this change delivers a solution to that. Members of the previous Government wrung their hands over this problem for 9 years and we have delivered a solution to it in 9 months. 
Todd McClay 
: How can this product assist with housing supply? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: We gave that a great deal of thought too and changes will allow first-home buyers to borrow in order to build a home if they already own land. On the one hand we want to increase the housing supply and this change will also stimulate the construction sector. If a first-home buyer owns or buys a vacant section he or she can then borrow in order to build a home getting the construction industry going and getting a roof over their young heads. 
Moana Mackey 
: Given that the latest ASB quarterly survey of housing confidence showed the first positive result in 18 months— 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If questions addressed to this side of the House could start with a question word that would be good. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have taken an approach that I believe is a little more intelligent than that as long as the question does come along very quickly. This is not  
W3 
 as I think I said once before. 
Moana Mackey 
: Given that the latest ASB quarterly survey of housing confidence showed the first positive result in 18 months and described it as “similar to that seen when the last housing boom was just getting started” when will we finally see any new ideas on affordable housing from this Minister who in the 10 months since becoming the Minister of Housing has done nothing other than claim Labour initiatives as his own? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: The previous Government ignored the problems under the Resource Management Act for builders; we have worked on that. The previous Government ignored the problems under the Building Act; we have worked on that. The previous Government refused to lower taxes; we have worked on that. Interest rates have stabilised—we have done that—and what is more we have solved the problem in Maori housing that the previous Government wrung its hands over for 9 years. And we have solved it in 9 months.