11. JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
What has been the impact to date on employment as a result of the housing component of the Government’s jobs and growth stimulus package?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
I was pleased to announce early last week that in fact 935 people were in jobs in March due to the money set aside earlier this year under the stimulus package. Those jobs include work both for upgrades and house construction and we are employing people across the sector. We are talking about design consultants, carpenters, joiners, plumbers, electricians, roofers, insulators, gardeners, and others. It is, quite frankly, fantastic news.
The member will recall that when the package was announced we made it clear that this work would keep people in jobs and that is what we are doing. Also, the Government’s job summit raised the need to accelerate initiatives to open up opportunities for employment—and we have delivered on that too. We are also delivering on clear commitments to improve the standards of existing Housing New Zealand Corporation stock. That is something that I think the whole country now knows was neglected by the previous Government.
Hon George Hawkins Link to this
Does the Minister see the irony in this Government congratulating itself for creating jobs when an estimated 1,160 jobs have been lost so far thanks to this Government’s public sector cuts and a huge opportunity to create more jobs was lost when this Government put the brakes on the Hobsonville State housing project?
I find that quite interesting because Cabinet papers show that the Hobsonville development was passed by Cabinet in 2002. Mr Gosche announced it at that time. I remember that after that Steve Maharey announced it a few years later. I believe Chris Carter announced it after that, and then Maryan Street. When I became Minister of Housing in 2008 there were no consents for Hobsonville; I found out that earthworks had not begun, and not a single house had been built. But now that National is in Government, we have the consents, the earthworks are about to start, and we are actually going to build some houses.
Chris TremainWhen we initiated the package I asked the corporation to ensure that the contracting saw local builders and local tradespeople get work from the infrastructure package. The member from Napier witnessed it in Hawke’s Bay last week, when a local tradesperson approached us and thanked us because he was able to keep in work and to employ an extra person. That is happening right across the country. We are delighted that it is affecting people’s lives so positively.