Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill

I would like to make an opening comment in the Committee stage of the Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill. I want to begin by making some comments about the provisions in Part 1 of the bill and refer those listening tonight to new section 57AA, inserted by clause 12.

The bill, as those members who have looked at it will know, is divided into two parts. The first part contains a number of provisions that will come into force I think on the day after the Royal assent. The other provisions, in Part 2, are designed to kick into life at a later point. I want to comment particularly about the issue of reviewable tenancies, which is probably the major sticking point for Labour in this bill. It is the main reason that we are voting against this bill. We believe that the extension of reviewable tenancies to all Housing New Zealand tenants is a retrograde step. I want to comment on new section 57AA in clause 12 of Part 1, which gives Housing New Zealand the power, immediately upon the Royal assent, to impose these reviewable tenancies on all Housing New Zealand tenants.

Back in mid-2011, when the Hon Phil Heatley was the Minister of Housing, in the bad old days, the Government changed the policy and extended to all new Housing New Zealand tenants the possibility that they would have their tenancies reviewed.

The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The time has come for me to report progress.

House resumed.

The Chairperson reported the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill with amendment, the Health and Safety (Pike River Implementation) Bill with amendment, and that the Committee had divided it into three bills, no progress on the Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill, and no progress on the Insolvency Practitioners Bill.

Report adopted.

The House adjourned at 9.57 p.m.