Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 18 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9552. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to theMinister of Housing: Does he stand by the Prime Minister’s statement that he’s not “promising that the Government’s going to go and build a whole lot of houses” if so how does he plan to resolve the rental housing crisis in Christchurch?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister of Housing): Housing in Christchurch is a challenge but it is not a crisis. [Interruption] Well average rents have gone up 10 percent but are less than they are in either Auckland or Wellington. Housing New Zealand waiting lists for the highest need A and B clients are currently 252—fewer than there were prior to the earthquakes and actually half what there were under the previous Labour Government. I also notice that the numbers on the Christchurch City Council’s waiting lists are fewer than they were prior to the earthquakes. We have over a dozen specific initiatives under way to address Christchurch’s housing challenges but these as the Prime Minister said do not include nationalising housing. The bulk of the new houses will be built by the private sector as can be see by the massive increase in the number of building consents being issued in Christchurch.Phil Twyford: Given that response why did he say recently that 40 new homes being constructed by the Government was “stepping up” its Christchurch housingresponse; and does he really think that building 40 new homes amounts to “stepping up” given that his own officials say that up to 7400 Cantabrians are homeless?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The first thing I find amusing having been lectured for the last 4 months that as a South Island MP I should not be commenting on Auckland housing issues is that Mr Twyford now thinks he is an expert—and I am not sure why—on Christchurch housing issues. I detect a double standard.Phil Twyford: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not threatening to legislate to override the Christchurch City Council.Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. Has the Minister finished his answer?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government as I announced last week has settled with the insurance company. We are going to be spending over $1 billion on Housing New Zealand homes in that city. We have got temporary housing initiatives of the sort that have been commented on. We have established temporary accommodation services to assist with householders. It is a big challenge but we are making great progress.Phil Twyford: What is he going to do to accommodate the people who will need to move out of the 80000 homes that are yet to be repaired the 15000 to 20000 construction workers expected over the next 2 years and the 8000 new homes needed to cope with population increase; and does he really think that 40 new homes is an adequate response to that?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I never said that the 40 new homes being built at Rangers Park were a complete solution. You need to see them alongside the other three villages that we have created for temporary accommodation. There are also the 5000 State houses that we are fixing at pace. I note that the Labour Party opposes the settlement with the insurance company that will actually enable us to get on and fix those State houses. We have got a request for a proposal out right now in respect of worker accommodation. We have helped thousands of families with extra grants through the temporary accommodation assistance. There are over a dozen separate initiatives that this Government has given to assist in housing in Christchurch.Phil Twyford: What does he say to the thousands of Cantabrians facing another winter sleeping in uninsulated sleepouts and sleeping in cars and to families squashed into someone else’s spare room or paying hundreds of dollars to live in a caravan; and does he really think that having 7400 homeless people in Christchurch is a challenge and not a crisis?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I noted the editorial in the ChristchurchPress which in its analysis of the housing issues in Christchurch said that it was challenging but not a crisis.Phil Twyford: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked the Minister what he thought not what the ChristchurchPress thought.Mr SPEAKER: The member asked two questions in his supplementary question. The Minister is now attempting to answer either one of those. He had hardly started his answer before the member got to his feet. Would the Minister please continue.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The consistent feedback I get from the people of Christchurch on housing issues in the days that I have been down there—and they are many—is that they are saying: “Thank God it’s a National Government.” which is focused on the issue rather than playing politics with their tragedy.