10. Question No. 10—Public HousingSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)Question No. 10—Public Housing10. SIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does he agree with the Prime Minister's statement yesterday in the House that we are a Government who pledged to get people out of cars to stop children having to read by torchlight because they didn't have housing"? Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): I always agree with the Prime Minister particularly because this Government has implemented the biggest house-building programme since the 1970s. Since coming to office we have housed 12370 people from the housing register; we have committed in Budget 2018 to $234 million to an additional 6400 public housing spaces; working with community housing providers we have housed 798000 people via the Housing First programme; and increased support by $54 million to sustaining tenancies. Simon O'Connor: Why then has the number of emergency housing grants more than doubled under this Government? Hon KRIS FAAFOI: It's no surprise that we inherited a housing crisis from the previous Government. In 2013 the previous Government was warned that homelessness stood at 41000. Their response to that was to reduce the number of public housing places by 1400. Simon O'Connor: When he and his colleagues suggested that they would fix the housing crisis back in 2017 was spending 362 percent more on emergency grants to put people into the likes of motels part of that solution? Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Well the first part of that was to acknowledge there was a housing crisis and then we committed to make sure that people who needed housing got support. We didn't sit on our hands when we were warned that there were 41000 people homeless and reduce the number of public housing spaces by 1400. The solution to a homelessness problem is increasing supply not cutting it. Hon Dr Megan Woods: Is the Minister aware that if the previous Government had built State houses at the rate that this Government is there would be 14000 more State houses and indeed we would not even have a public housing wait-list? Hon KRIS FAAFOI: The Minister's question is well-informed. Simon O'Connor: So why are almost 14000 families waiting for a State house and nearly twice as many—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Right. Well the National Party just got an extra five supplementaries there because there were at least five members who interjected. Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Could we also go back a bit and ask some of those supplementary questions on previous questions where we were somewhat constrained? SPEAKER: The answer to that question is no. But there is a carry-over arrangement so if the member thinks that there are not enough supplementary questions left or they couldn't be usefully used today they can be used next week. Simon O'Connor: The question remains: why are almost 14000 families waiting for a State house—more than twice as many as under National? Hon KRIS FAAFOI: It is because—as I've said to nearly every answer to every supplementary question—five years ago the previous Government was warned that there were 41000 people homeless. They were living in crowded conditions and sleeping in cars and we inherited that situation. They are now coming forward for help because we have sent a clear message to those people that if they need help they will get it—and we are giving it to them. We are increasing supply and not getting rid of supply whereas the previous Government in its nine years in Government reduced the number of public housing by 1400. I welcome the Opposition's new-found interest in the housing register. Simon O'Connor: Would he say given the stark contrast between the PM's ambition and what is actually happening that the Prime Minister has overpromised or that he has under-delivered? Hon KRIS FAAFOI: No. I would say that the previous Government didn't acknowledge the problem and we are dealing with it."