11. MOANA MACKEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
How much is in Budget 2010 for the acquisition of new State-owned houses and how does that compare to the $48 million in Budget 2007 for State house acquisitions?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
The Housing New Zealand Corporation has budgeted $74 million of its own income to build 241 new properties and purchase a further 96 properties. It has also budgeted an additional $40 million to lease 455 new properties. The National Government has not got a particular appropriation for State housing, but it is investing in $5.8 million worth of community group houses. That will help community groups to house people who have particular, complex needs.
Mr SPEAKERCan he confirm that of the $18 million in Budget 2010 for acquisition and improvement of State houses, $6.5 million is for the Housing New Zealand Corporation’s energy efficiency programme, $5.7 million is for Healthy Housing—a reduction of more than $9 million—and $5.8 million is for community group housing, leaving precisely zero dollars for new houses?
I think I made it crystal clear that in the final year she is talking about, the Housing New Zealand Corporation will build 241 new properties, purchase a further 96 properties, and lease 405 properties. That the funding does not come from the Government but comes from the Housing New Zealand Corporation’s annual billion-dollar rental income makes no difference to all those hundreds of families that will be housed.
Does he remember criticising Labour for funding a net increase of “only” 475 State houses in 2008, and will he retract that criticism, given that he has announced that he will “slow down and probably stop” building up the Government’s housing stock?
Has he seen the report from First National Real Estate, released today, outlining a severe shortage of rental properties; the report from his own Housing Shareholders’ Advisory Group pointing to a current housing shortage of 70,000 homes, which is set to get worse; and the report from Jennian Homes, released yesterday, saying that home builders are suffering because the building sector has never been this quiet; if so, why is he the only person who thinks that now is the right time for the Government to stop investing in housing?
I released a report saying we think there is a shortage in housing, so clearly I am well aware of that; it is just that I do not believe that the Government is the one that has to run out and build them all. We would like to work with community group organisations across the country and resource them to build, buy, and lease houses in order to house more people who are struggling, like the struggling families on the waiting list.
Chester BorrowsHow does the $100 million provided by the Government in February 2009 for upgrades of State houses compare with the funding for upgrades in Budget 2007-08?
Oh, this is fascinating! The National Government invested $109 million on more than 13,000 upgrades of old, cold, and mouldy houses. That is a grand total of $109 million, compared with the $7.5 million invested by the previous Labour Government. In other words, the Labour Government invested only 10 percent of what National did in 2009. Do members know why that is? It is because the National Government and John Key believe that the quality of housing for our tenants is just as important as the quantity of housing for our tenants; otherwise, we would house them in dog kennels, like the previous Government did.
How many people could have been housed with the $1.6 billion being spent on the Pūhoi to Wellsford “Holiday Highway”, now known as the “Steven Joyce Road of Personal Significance”?
In 2009-10 more than 25,000 upgrades of State houses were carried out. Housing New Zealand Corporation tenants across the country benefited from improved insulation and heating. Their homes were damp-proofed. New bathrooms and kitchens were fitted as well, and other vital improvements carried out. Those improvements enhanced tenants’ living conditions by making their homes warmer, healthier, and much safer. John Key, the Prime Minister, is not a slum landlord.
Hon Annette KingThere will be no interjection while I am on my feet. The last part of the answer was in response to a question from one of the Minister’s own colleagues, and there is no need for gratuitous comments in response to questions from one’s own colleagues. I am perfectly happy for him to compare what this Government is doing with what the previous Government might have done, but I am not going to have patsy questions used to make gratuitous comments. The Minister has done that on a couple of successive days now, and that is why I am raising it, because it is not fair. If members opposite are foolish enough to ask political questions, the Minister can give political answers. I have no problem with that; we have heard a few of them today. But I am not going to have patsy questions used to make gratuitous comments. I have no problem with his comparing performance but I will not have gratuitous comments.
Hon David ParkerI raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I thank you for that ruling. You have made that ruling on a number of occasions over the last couple of weeks, and it has been repeatedly ignored by National Ministers—
I am on my feet, and I do not need any assistance. I have made clear what I intend, and there is no further issue. My insisting on Ministers not doing that will not be assisted if members of the Opposition try to take advantage of it.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is quite a separate point of order but it might assist the House. I just want to make it clear that we do not associate ourselves with the comments of my colleague with regard to the highway—