On The Nation: Lisa Owen interviews Michael Wood and Parmjeet Parmar
Youtube clips from the show are available here.

Headlines:
Labour candidate Michael Wood says it’s Mount Roskill or bust… if he misses out in the by-election he won’t stand in another electorate next year
National MP Parmjeet Parmar also rules out standing in another electorate in the 2017 election
Parmar won’t say whether she supports raising the youth court age or not… despite saying young people are committing serious crime in the electorate
Parmar says she would like to see more homes priced at around $650,000 in the electorate
Wood says houses in Special Housing Areas are being flipped for profit and the Government needs to step in to build more houses

Patrick Gower: It is our favourite time on The Nation — debate time, democracy time. Here in the studio, the Mt Roskill debate, because in two weeks’ time — yes, two weeks — Mt Roskill will decide who should replace Phil Goff, who has, of course, stepped down to become mayor of Auckland. Now, only two parties in Parliament are contesting the by-election. That’s because some haven’t bothered and others have done electorate deals, colloquially known as dirty deals. But two are here. That is Labour’s Michael Wood and National’s Parmjeet Parmar. They are with Lisa now to debate.
Lisa Owen: Good morning to you both. Thanks for being here. Now, Mt Roskill is an ethnically diverse electorate, but it’s also economically diverse as well. So, Mrs Parmar, what is the median wage in Mt Roskill?
Parmjeet Parmar: Well, the median wage around Auckland is 58,000.
But in the electorate that you’re standing in?
Parmar: It is applicable in Mt Roskill too.
Well, according to the by-election information supplied by government, it’s 76,000 is the median income. So it’s higher.
Parmar: That’s better, actually.
Michael Wood: The median household income.
Correct. So, Mr Wood, unemployment rate in that electorate — what is it?
Wood: I believe it’s a little over 4%.
It’s almost 5.5%. So higher than the national average. So, Mrs Parmar, you’re a list MP who’s living— Whereabouts are you living at the moment?
Parmar: I live in Eastern Beach.
Right, so you don’t live in the electorate.
Parmar: But I have my office in the electorate.
Okay. So what would you do differently if you became the electorate MP, rather than a list MP?
Parmar: So there is a big difference between list MP and the electorate MP. I’ll have a clear mandate to go out and advocate for the issues of Mt Roskill. And also being in government, that gives me more opportunities to deliver results for Mt Roskill.
So what specifically are you going to deliver for Mt Roskill as an electorate MP? What’s the top of the list?
Parmar: Yes, as you said, it’s a very, very diverse electorate, so the needs for the families are also diverse. So there are issues about improving safety in our streets and our homes, improving affordability of houses, small businesses, I’m really focused on them. So the issues, actually, vary according to the families, and these are the top issues that I’m looking into.
Okay. We’re going to come to those soon. Mr Wood, you’re standing in— Are you standing in the right electorate? Because you’ve had a crack at Pakuranga, at Epsom. How can voters be sure that you’re committed to Mt Roskill?
Wood: I’m standing in the right electorate because Mt Roskill is my home, and it has been for the past 13 years. I’ve served in the community, been on the local board for the past six years.
But you had a crack at a few others before, didn’t you?
Wood: Yeah, that’s right. I have.
So it’s just kind of get into Parliament by any means necessary.
Wood: Served a bit of an apprenticeship there, but my total commitment is to Mt Roskill. And, actually, I give an absolute guarantee that I’ll enter Parliament as the MP for Mt Roskill or I won’t enter it at all. My total commitment is on getting elected to Mt Roskill, my home. I know the local streets, the local shops—
So you guarantee you won’t stand for another electorate?
Wood: I won’t stand for another electorate next year, and I won’t seek to enter Parliament through the list. I will only seek to enter Parliament as the MP for Mt Roskill. It’s my home, and I want to represent it. It’s all I’m focused on.
Okay. Mrs Parmar, can you give the same commitment? Will you stand in another electorate, or are you going to give an assurance that Mt Roskill is your focus?
Parmar: Standing in this by-election, it’s assuring my commitment to Mt Roskill. I stood in Mt Roskill in 2014 general election, and I have been working hard in the electorate.
But can you rule out standing in another electorate? You’re not going to stand in Pakuranga or any other electorate the next election?
Parmar: No. I am totally committed to Mt Roskill. My heart is with Mt Roskill. I have been working hard. I understand the community inside out. I have been immersed in this electorate. I have a long-standing relationship with Mt Roskill.
You said that housing and the cost of housing is one of the key issues for your electorate. How much should an affordable house be in Mt Roskill?
Parmar: So, at the moment, as you know that with KiwiSaver HomeStart package, 650,000 is for Auckland, and that’s what I would like to see here in Mt Roskill too.
So what are you going to do to make that so?
Parmar: So, yes, through government, you know that we are supporting development of housing, because we have already speeded up the consent process. We are freeing up Crown land, so that is helping in Mt Roskill and surrounding suburbs. We have a huge development and a Special Housing Accord in the Three Kings from —
Okay, so, Special Housing Developments—
Wood: Lisa, you cannot say the government’s approach is working. We now have an average house price of $1 million in Mt Roskill, which historically has been the place on the Auckland isthmus where ordinary people can get a start in life. That is gone in terms of housing at the moment. We actually need government to get involved and build affordable housing for people. The current approach simply isn’t working.
There’s about 350 houses in the pipeline with Special Housing Areas in Mt Roskill, isn’t there, Mr Wood?
Wood: I could take you to Special Housing Areas that have been granted Special Housing status, approved by the local board, that I’m a part of, and then have been flipped for a profit. There’s a few houses coming through that pipeline. That’s fine. But it’s laughable to say that it’s enough to deal with the crisis that we’ve got. Government needs to step in and deal with the supply side by building but also deal with rampant speculation too. And that’s what we’ll do.
Parmar: So the fact is that under the previous Labour Government, people were leaving New Zealand to look for better opportunities overseas. So under the National Government, we have people coming to New Zealand, and there are less number of people leaving New Zealand. So, yes, supply is—
And that makes houses more expensive, doesn’t it, Mrs Parmar?
Parmar: Yes, and that’s why we have speeded up the consent process, we are freeing up Crown land, and we also speeding up the supply issue. So the answer for that is supply, supply and supply.
How many Special Housing houses are ready to move into in Mt Roskill?
Parmar: Next year, Three Kings development is going to be ready with 40 houses, which will come into market. Total number of houses that are being built there are 99, but there are several other Special Housing Areas that are being developed.
Wood: The answer is zero at the moment.
Parmar: But artificially regulated house price—
So zero at the moment? Is Mr Wood right? Zero houses ready?
Parmar: I have seen myself—
Sorry, I just want to be clear, Mrs Parmar. So zero houses in Special Housing Areas at this point have been completed?
Parmar: Through Housing New Zealand, I have gone and seen the development. There are two houses converted to eight houses. There are three houses converted to nine houses.
Ready to move into now?
Parmar: All ready they have been. Yep, and they look really comfortable, really appealing.
Wood: Lisa, the Special Housing Areas aren’t a bad idea, but it’s rats and mice stuff — three houses there, six there. A lot of the big developments we’re talking about, like Three Kings, there’s no commitment to affordable housing beyond a very small number anyways. We need to get with scale here and build scale affordable houses for people. You don’t tackle a crisis by building three houses here, six there and 40 there.
Parmar: Special Housing Areas have affordable component, but I don’t believe that regulating prices artificially work. So the answer is supply, and that’s what we are working on. And under the Labour Government in their last month, there were just 10 houses being built on one working day. Under us, it’s 50. So we have already shown the results.
Let’s move on to some other big projects. Light rail is one thing that you’re floating, Mr Wood. It’s not got a light price tag, though, has it? It’s 1.2 billion. And Phil Goff, who’s campaigning for you, he says he doesn’t have the coin and he doesn’t want to pay, so where are you going to get the dough from?
Wood: Look, the reason that we have a transport crisis in Auckland and totally congested roads is because we’ve put off investment decisions.
Where’s the money coming from?
Wood: Very simply, the government over the next 10 years has a $10 billion for land transport capital projects. This project would take about $700 million of that.
You’re wanting the council to pay half.
Wood: Absolutely. And so what Labour says is we would work with Auckland Council, and unlike the current government, we would be a bit creative and open to looking at alternative revenue streams.
Okay. So it’s not a promise to deliver this, then, is it, Mr Wood? It’s a hope. It’s a hope. It could be a vain hope.
Wood: It’s Labour making a major commitment to actually resolving traffic congestion in Auckland, which is more than any other party is prepared to do.
If you’re elected the MP for this electorate, you can’t promise that you’re going to get light rail, so it’s just a hope.
Wood: It’s Labour making a major commitment, and I am absolutely confident that working with Council, which in its plans has already identified that light rail needs to happen, we will get there.
Okay, so no guarantees there. All right. Mrs Parmar, you have supported, said publicly, that you support changes to Child, Youth and Family as a measure to reduce crime. Part of that proposal is to raise the Youth Court age. Do you support that too? Because a lot of local businesses in your area are sick of being knocked over by teenagers.
Parmar: When I talk to small businesses, it’s normally young people, those who commit offences on these small businesses, so, yes, I am looking into it, I have spoken to several small businesses—
So do you support it? Your electorate want to know.
Parmar: So I want to see is, actually, the full proposal. So at this stage, I’m not satisfied, because what I’m seeing and hearing from small businesses is that when groups of people commit crime against dairy and robberies, it’s young people—
I need to be clear on this. Do you support it or not, Mrs Parmar — raising the age?
Parmar: It’s young people, those who are engaged and are causing the most serious damage, and they believe that as youth, he or she can easily get away.
People need to know this. Small businesses, you say, are an area you’re concentrating on. They’ll want to know.
Parmar: At this stage, I haven’t seen the full proposal. It’s going through the Cabinet process, but I really want to see that.
You don’t sound like you do support it.
Parmar: I really want to see what is in it.
Okay. So you’re sitting on the fence on that one? All right.
Parmar: I’m really wanting to see what’s in it.
Labour is pledging a thousand more front line police officers, Mr Wood, so how many of those will be in Mt Roskill? How many of those officers can you guarantee will be on the beat in Mt Roskill?
Wood: It would be inappropriate of any politician to start allocating police to particular areas. What we’re saying is we need a thousand new front line police because investment in police hasn’t kept up with population growth in Auckland. So we’d put those front line police there and let police make the decisions about how you deploy them.
So no guarantees?
Wood: But what it’s about is getting cops on the front line, on the streets, at the shops, keeping an eye on things.
We’re almost out of time. I want to ask you both a quick question. So 39% of Mt Roskill residents are Asian, Mr Wood. How do you think they felt about Labour singling out people with Asian-sounding names who are buying houses?
Wood: People living in Mt Roskill, whether they’re Pakeha, Maori, Indian or Chinese, are all locked out of the property market, and they all want us to focus on solutions, and stopping off-shore speculation in our property market is a part of that. That will benefit everyone in Mt Roskill.
Okay. All right, Mrs Parmar, just before we go, Mt Roskill is known as the Bible Belt, so how would you vote on right-to-die legislation?
Parmar: I am pro-life. I would vote against it.
So you’d vote against euthanasia?
Parmar: Yes.
All right. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Appreciate your time.
Wood: Pleasure. Thanks, Lisa.
Parmar: Thank you.

Transcript provided by Able. www.able.co.nz

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