Debate on Housing Commission

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 18

Debate on Housing Commission

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 27. People in New Zealand were the best housed in the world, Mr T. F. Gill (Nat., Waitemata) said in Parliament tonight during the second reading debate of the National Housing Commission Bill. Mr Gill said that the bill — which establishes a commission to inquire into housing matters and to advise the Government was in accordance with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into housing. Referring to Labour Party suggestions of a “crash” programme of housing, he said the country did not have the resources for this. Resources were being used to build up the economis strength of the country. If it were shown that 300,000 houses were needed over the next 10 years he was sure they would be built. But such a programme

should not be launched, and 30,000 houses built this year, unless all the necessary assumptions were investigated. The clear concensus of evidence before the Commission of Inquiry was that there was no immediate general shortage of houses. In some areas, such as Auckland and perhaps Wellington, there was a shortage. This was because of the inflow of population from other parts of New Zealand. This could not be predetermined, he said. Mr T. ,M. McGuigan (Lab., Lyttelton) said the bill did not implement the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry. It was a toothless document that gave the commission no power, and made it secondary to the Minister. There was nothing in the bill to help people needing houses, unless there was a radical change in the policy on housing. The Acting Minister of Finance (Mr Gair) said he could not accept Labour Party arguments that the housing position was deteriorating. He cited census figures, which, he said, showed that more houses were being built and occupied, more holiday houses were being built, more houses were unoccupied, and there were fewer people per dwelling unit. Outlining the functions of the proposed Housing Commission, Mr Gair challenged the Opposition to show where the bill failed.

Mr T. J. Young (Lab., Hutt) said that much of the bill’s wording on the functions of the commission was “so much verbiage.” The vacant houses Mr Gair had mentioned were probably in rural areas and in depressed areas which had been created by the Government. Mr Young suggested that a social worker be a member of the commission. Capitalisation of family benefit should be liberalised and home loan rates lowered and their repayment time extended.

Mr R. L. Bailey (Lab., Heretaunga) said the bill por-

trayed the Government’s failure to honour its 1969 election pledges. The National Party had promised that new houses would be built economically and in sufficient numbers to meet needs, but this had not happened. A survey in Wellington had shown that 1850 people were living in sub-standard accommodation, Mr Bailey said. The Government had not provided for the rehousing of people displaced by public works. By the time the motorway and other public works were completed some 10,000 people would have been displaced.

Winding up the debate, the Minister of Housing (Mr Holland) said the Opposition had tried to create the impression that New Zealand had a housing crisis. This was incorrect, although there were problems in some areas which were being met and solved by the Government. Mr Holland said that in the first six months of this year housing permits issued were worth ssBlm, compared with sso7m for the corresponding period last year and $472m in 1970. In the year to July permits totalled 26,737, compared with 23,009 the year before.

Mr Holland said he was prepared to move an amendment in the bill’s committee

stages to allow the commission to publish its reports to the Government, provided the Minister of Housing saw them first.