Moana Mackey: If one of the Ministers aims for this policy is to stimulate the building industry during tough economic times, as he said yesterday, when will the first replacement homes be built, given that the scheme does not start until September and he has no idea what the take-up will be amongst the very small number of State tenants who can afford it, and given the process that the Housing New Zealand Corporation will need to go through to identify or purchase land for the replacements?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY: Although I have the option to pass the answer on to Phil Goff or Chris Carter, who support the policy—
Mr SPEAKER: The Minister should answer the question.
Hon PHIL HEATLEY: —I inform the House that the Housing New Zealand Corporation will be increasing the number of State houses by about 1,550 over 4 years. As part of the increase, which we have planned for, we will build, buy, and lease houses to replace those bought by State house tenants, who for once in a decade will have the opportunity to go into homeownership.
Moana Mackey: Let us see whether he will actually answer this question. How does that policy help reduce Housing New Zealand Corporation waiting-lists, address affordable housing issues, or stimulate the building sector, when the Minister is promising to maybe build an unknown number of houses sometime in the next few years, yet, on the other hand, has stopped the building of 500 State houses and stalled the building of 500 affordable homes in Hobsonville?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY: We have been very intrigued by the Hobsonville policy, which was first announced in 2002 by the Labour Government. It was announced about a dozen times, including three times in the 2005 election year and three times in the 2008 election year. When we came into Government, do members know what we found? There were no consents, no spade had hit the ground, and no house had been built. Members will be pleased to hear that the National Government has obtained consents. We are about to start the earthworks, and we will build some real houses in Hobsonville. [Interruption]
Mr SPEAKER: There is no way that anyone can hear the honourable member seeking to ask a supplementary question. I ask for a little bit of order from the Government benches, please.
Moana Mackey: It is interesting that State houses are not real houses. How can the Minister be taken seriously on the issue of helping low-income families into their own homes, given that his No. 1 election promise for housing affordability was to ease the burden of mortgage repayments through an ongoing programme of personal tax cuts, and how will extensive tax cuts for the highest-income earners help low-income families pay their mortgages?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY: Although the member could access it herself, I would be happy to pass her the phone number of the Governor of the Reserve Bank, who will mention to her that interest rates are actually coming down.
Duration : 0:10:53
