Mitchell Clayton: Social Housing Reform (Flexible Purchasing and Remedial Matters) Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMitchell Clayton: Social Housing Reform (Flexible Purchasing and Remedial Matters) Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 21 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3643. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First): I rise to take a call on Part 2 of this piece of legislation. To try to keep it as relatively narrow as possible is probably not going to be the easiest because let us be honest the devil is normally in the detail but there are a few details lacking here—there are only a few paragraphs. Basically the essence of the Social Housing Reform (Flexible Purchasing and Remedial Matters) Bill—I have to read that every time because it is so long-winded—in Part 2 is really about two things that I can see and that is taking away the GST in the first part. Whether that GST to be removed from the housing is really to do with making it more affordable—I do not think so. There is nothing in this legislation that suggests in any way that if you take GST off the costs of housing they are going to be transposed and put into the beneficial places for those people who are actually going to be paying those rents. If you really were interested in looking after the people paying those rents then take GST off residential rates and take GST off food. Those are the sorts of things that will go far further than taking GST off the accommodation costs for those people in those houses.This package that this Government is putting together and putting out there for the property developers will be its sum game. I cannot believe that the National Government members sit there silently. Not one person is standing up to speak on this legislation. In particular I invite the Māori Party to say what this legislation is going to do for the Māori people of this country. This is eating at the core of their issues. The biggest issues that we have in social housing deprivation throughout this country are now going to be handed over to those large corporations those property developers and we are not hearing anything that says in any way that the Māori Party is going to oppose this bill. In fact at the last count it is supporting it which absolutely beggars belief. I cannot understand that.Subpart 2 of Part 2 “Remedial and other matters” in the explanatory note to the bill is “Housing Corporation Act 1974”. Let me read it out to you because it is quite short but to be honest those people back home wherever you are watching—I am sure there are a good dozen of you out there—might want to know this: “Clause 20 repeals section 3B(b). The effect of the repeal is that [Housing New Zealand Corporation] no longer has an objective to provide advice and information on housing to the Minister of Housing. Clause 21 amends section 18(2) by making clear that [Housing New Zealand Corporation’s] research and monitoring function described in section 18(2)(j) does not include research and monitoring for the purpose of advising the Minister of Housing on those matters.”From now on the Minister for Building and Housing is going to be getting his advice from the people who are trying to get industry and employment for those people. This absolutely contradicts what this whole State housing is about. It is about looking after the people who need to be looked after the most. This is taking away their ability.I would certainly love to hear how the Minister thinks this is going to benefit New Zealanders but also the minority groups of New Zealanders and specifically the Māori people in this country who need a voice and we are not hearing one. We need to get some idea of how this is actually going to be of benefit to them and the rest of the people who are living in poverty in this country. We in New Zealand First like the other comrades on this side absolutely strongly and vehemently oppose the bill and we would just love to hear some words coming back from the National benches on how those members can justify supporting this absolutely abhorrent piece of legislation. Thank you.