MORENA, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO Q+A. I'M GREG BOYED. A LOWER HUTT COMMUNITY HAS WON THE FIGHT TO HAVE A SEX OFFENDER MOVED FROM THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD. RESIDENTS IN SOUTH AUCKLAND ARE PLANNING PROTESTS AGAINST THE OFFENDER WHO IS LIVING IN THEIRS. IT'S A COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT ISSUE. WHERE SHOULD THEY BE HOUSED? CORRECTIONS AND POLICE MINISTER JUDITH COLLINS IS OUR LEAD INTERVIEW. SHE'LL SPEAK WITH JESSICA MUTCH THIS MORNING. THEN, BIG CITY ISSUES IN SMALL-TOWN NZ. KATIE BRADFORD LOOKS AT THE PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS IN ONE OF OUR TOP TOURIST TOWNS. THERE ARE SO MANY FAMILIES LIVING WITH OTHER FAMILIES. AND WHENA OWEN LOOKS AT THE WELLINGTON MAYORAL CONTEST ` THE POLITICS, THE INTRIGUE AND SOME FUN FACTS. HAVE YOU GOT A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF? I'M JUST FUN MYSELF. I THINK I'M THE ONLY MAYORAL CANDIDATE WHO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SHOT AT. I SAID FUN FACT, KEITH. DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF Q+A, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. AND WE'LL HAVE ANALYSIS FROM OUR PANEL ` POLITICAL SCIENTIST DR GRANT DUNCAN FROM MASSEY UNIVERSITY; JENNA RAEBURN ` SHE'S A FORMER NATIONAL STAFFER WHO NOW WORKS IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR BARTON DEAKIN IN WELLINGTON; AND MIKE WILLIAMS, FORMER LABOUR PARTY PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM. BUT FIRST, HERE'S JESSICA. THANKS, GREG. SEX OFFENDERS WOULD PROBABLY COUNT AS SOME OF THE MOST REVILED MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY. BUT WHEN THESE PEOPLE HAVE SERVED THEIR TIME AND MUST BE RESETTLED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO REFORM THEIR LIVES AND KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE AT THE SAME TIME? JUST THIS WEEK, CORRECTIONS AGREED TO REMOVE A SEX OFFENDER FROM A LOWER HUTT NEIGHBOURHOOD AFTER RESIDENTS AND LOCAL MPs COMPLAINED. LAST MONTH, OUR REPORTER WHENA OWEN MET SOME RESIDENTS IN MANGERE, SOUTH AUCKLAND, WHO ARE ALSO CALLING FOR A SEX OFFENDER TO BE REMOVED FROM THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD, AWAY FROM FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS. WE WENT BACK TO ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES THIS WEEK. PHOEBE BLACKMOORE-MULLER IS A SOLO MUM WITH THREE KIDS, LIVING IN A STATE HOUSE. SHE'S ASKED HOUSING NZ TO MOVE HER, BUT WAS TOLD SHE IS NOT A PRIORITY, EVEN THOUGH CORRECTIONS PLACED A HIGH-RISK SEX OFFENDER JUST OVER HER BACK FENCE. INSTEAD OF LETTING US LIVE IN FEAR, LIKE, AT LEAST HELP US. They don't even play in their backyard any more. Hhanging the washing out is quite hard. INSTEAD OF LETTING US LIVE IN FEAR, LIKE, AT LEAST HELP US. DON'T LEAVE US TO LIVE LIKE THIS. ESPECIALLY BEING IN YOUR OWN HOME. YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO BE HAPPY AND SLEEP AT NIGHT. JUST BECAUSE WE'RE FROM, WHAT, NOT, LIKE, A BEAUTIFUL SUBURB THAT'S, LIKE, EVERYTHING AND RICH, WE'RE STILL PEOPLE. WE STILL MATTER. OUR KIDS STILL MATTER. ESPECIALLY LITTLE VULNERABLE KIDS THAT CAN'T FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES. THE MINISTER FOR CORRECTIONS, JUDITH COLLINS, JOINS ME NOW. Thank you for being with us. It seems pretty desperate in South Auckland. That lower Hutt community lobbied and were able to get the sex offender removed. Will that happen in South Auckland? These are looked at according to the facts and the second sense. Corrections try to give protection order for them, and the High Court decided he didn't meet the criteria. In Christchurch he would be away from people, but the High Court disagreed with corrections. They have an obligation to reintegrate them into the committee. He has minders with him and GPS monitoring. He is allowed out once a week to do shopping with his minders and GPS. They have been turned down for a public protection order. Corrections were the meat in the sandwich. Why in this lower Hutt scenario were they able to lobby and get them removed? Is it anything to do with they are not being national voters that it is not similar in South Auckland? We have these people right throughout our community. Lower Hutt is also in a Labour seat. Corrections has looked at the effects and safety of people and how they can integrate someone into the committee. They make those decisions. Otherwise I would be deciding which suburbs have these high-risk people with them. Ddoes it look bad? This law was brought in for these very people. The extended supervision orders we have were about to expire. We can have supervision, but before we got rid of the institutionalisation, a lot would be housed there. we decided to open up the institution gates, And they are in prisons. Nobody is saying please give me a child sex offender. One of the problems people talk about is when we have tried to get people housed in prison land, so we could avoid the situation, we had the local council taking corrections to court. Corrections has a legal obligation to help these people. If the courts do not grant us public protection order, this is what happens. Why not build a community inside prisons grounds? That's what we're doing. When will that start happening? We have facilities in Christchurch. We have a facility being built there in November. The courts have to allow us to have people place there. Corrections are directed by the courts and parole board. So it's the courts problem? Corrections tried their best to have people given a public protection order which would enable corrections to house them in a facility at Christchurch. That application was turned down by the High Court. We have several others in the pipeline, but that is the only one that has been turned down. It's a new legislation. I've talked to justice about what will happen if these are not approved. I'm the same as other people about it, and I know corrections has to comply with the law and they can't just hold people in prison. Wwhen community is notified, what are they supposed to do with that information? Have you considered not notifying communities? If they are low risk, why tell communities? If there's a a child sex offender, it is better to know about it then to not know. It gives people a false sense of security to think everyone who is a sex offender is monitored. Most child sex offenders we have not caught. They are manipulative. We have seen in the UK and Australia. We should be aware that nobody should have any false sense of security on this. When somebody is going to be rehabilitated into the committee, what is the criteria for deciding where they should be placed? It's not easy to find a place. They look at what is the access to young children. It's very hard inner-city situation, but otherwise you have to have police availability should anything happen. You've got to have corrections facilities, GPS monitoring. You've got to have therapies available. So it is very hard. I talked to corrections. They said with this criteria, they should get someone like Mel Smith involved and looking at these areas. Is this a good criteria? Public protection orders have been legislated for by Parliament for a good reason. Are you getting it right? Corrections always trying to do the best they can. Some people say corrections said this and that, but they are family people themselves. They understand how people feel. They have a legal obligation to howls and bring people back into the community. They're having to bring people back when they would rather be housed in a public protection order residents. Nobody will say it is perfect. Do people have to get over this not in my backyard mentality? Local Mps speak out against it and lower Hutt, but do they have to suck it up? There is a legal obligation for corrections on certain things, but it is not helped by councils taking corrections to court. Corrections is doing its best, but it can always do better. The staff tried hard, but it is not easy. Prison numbers, in 2011, Bill English said prisons are fiscal and moral failure. Do you agree? I believe firmly that prisons are in evidence that people have had a moral failure. Our prison numbers are higher because it is hard to get bail if you are a violent offender. I would rather they were in jail than beating up their spouse. It is 9 � thousand at the moment. In terms of cost, more than 90,000 per prison per year. Recidivist in their home are not getting bail. It's a good thing that methamphetamine cooks and not getting bail. We are the same as Australia that when you are dealing with methamphetamine, it is a major driver of crime and violence. It is a huge driver of our prison population. KEEN TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS. WE'RE ON TWITTER @NZQANDA. YOU CAN EMAIL US AT Q+A@TVNZ.CO.NZ, OR TEXT YOUR THOUGHTS AND FIRST NAME TO 2211. KEEP THEM BRIEF. EACH TEXT COSTS 50C. WE'LL BRING IN OUR PANEL AFTER THE BREAK. AND LATER ` TAUPO IS ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR TOURIST TOWNS, BUT THERE'S A HIDDEN AND SURPRISING PROBLEM ` A GROWING NUMBER OF HOMELESS FAMILIES. LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL. Some of the things the Minister admits they are not getting it right, she wouldn't want a sex offender in her backyard, what did you think? Good on her for admitting she wouldn't want a sex offender as a neighbour. I'd like to see corrections putting one in her neighbourhood. There is justifiably a public anxiety. A lot of sex offenders haven't been prosecuted and we don't know about them, so it's not just the ones who have served their time. Mike, 43,000 prisoners, 1030 sex offenders. It's a problem you can't solve. Note amenity once released sex offender. They want to put the prisoners on the prison campuses. That was the answer for the beast of Blenheim, but they were prosecuted. Jails have been repositories the people who are mentally ill, and we need to address that. We need mental health facilities which are not jails. They're still going to come out into the committee. People under public protection orders do not have to come into that unity. You can be housed on prison grounds for the rest of your life. I have been close to this and lower Hutt, as my partner is an MP there. It's hard, but the Minister is right that corrections need to communicate with the community. Five years ago, you would not have knowing. It might be a couple of years before someone works it out and then the panic begins. The example of lower Hutt and the example of South Auckland it seems to be if you have voice, you'll be fine. If you don't have the voice or money, you won't be. The problem arises if it starts to become a social panic, where people are unable to be sensible about the nature of sex offending and rehabilitation. In a measured kind of way, no one wants them in their neighbourhood, but the law is the law. Wwe have to find safe ways of listening to fears and speaking of rights to be able to rehabilitate. Wwas she pointing the finger at the courts? That's the right thing to do. Corrections wanted to do the Christchurch prison solution to their problem, so you have got to have time for the courts to catch up. There's a disjunction in the law. People were released before there was preventative protection. We have to cope with those, but that will resolve itself over time. These are cases don't work for anyone involved. What kind of way is that about your life, in a community with people who despise and fear you? I have met one of these. He didn't want to be released. Notifying the community, they need to know, but if you need to notify them, they are not safe. It's better that people know. Can we have a sensible conversation about rehabilitation and safety? They go back to the beginning before a person start offending and after release, so we have to look at the spectrum. Most of the sex offenders in our community had not been detected or prosecuted. People with extended orders have been deemed to be high risk and are in a different class. Some of these people, iif they have support it will help. But it's about availability. You've got to remember that the government has invested in six offender courses. There are two jails you can go. Some of them have been through courses and I have had no effect. The law says they must be released. If the court does not grant a protection order, ccorrections has to find a place for them. If they reoffend? You've already had a Offence committed. You hear time and again they are near a school. Where is a community without a school? If it is just a matter of treating it as the crow flies, there are a small number of areas we can place people. We will have to build more prisons? You have to take the sadistic of 10,000 apart. The number of sentenced prisoners is dropping. The growth is in remand prisoners. Remand was tightened up. The Minister supported that and the community. The deportees returning from Australia, some of them will end up in jail to. Longer term, the people who are being jammed in prisons, this is not going to be good? New Zealand has a high incarceration rate. The Minister talked about meth cooks, we have to take it seriously, but we have to look at why are we relatively high with our incarceration rate compared to countries that we may like to emulate. They have the same problems but lower incarceration rates. We may be over populating our prisons. We may have our priorities wrong. I don't know what the problem is, may be using prison to readily. 67% of Maori prisoners start their offending with a driving offence. Ray Smith made a point to the Parliamentary committee that every focused more on getting kids drivers licenses, you could impact those numbers. That is something that the government should be looking hard at. AFTER THE BREAK ` WE'RE TALKING TO LABOUR'S HOUSING SPOKESPERSON, PHIL TWYFORD. AND TOURIST TOWN TAUPO ` IT'S FILLED WITH HOLIDAY HOMES, BUT NOT ENOUGH PLACES FOR ALL ITS WORKERS AND FAMILIES. THAT'S NEXT. TAUPO, ONE OF OUR MOST PICTURESQUE TOURIST TOWNS, HAS A BIG-CITY PROBLEM ` A SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S LED TO PEOPLE BUNKING UP IN CROWDED HOUSES, SLEEPING IN CARS AND EVEN ON THE STREET. THE TOWN'S MAYOR IS TRYING TO KICKSTART SOME CHEAPER HOUSING FOR WORKERS AND FAMILIES, AND SOME GOOD SAMARITANS HAVE STEPPED IN TOO. KATIE BRADFORD HAS THE STORY. TAUPO ` ONE OF OUR TOP TOURIST TOWNS, A SHOWCASE FOR NZ'S SCENIC BEAUTY AND ADVENTURE TOURISM INDUSTRY. BUT THERE'S AN UGLY SIDE THAT'S NOT FOUND IN THE SHINY TOURISM BROCHURES. TAUPO HAS A GROWING NUMBER OF HOMELESS FAMILIES. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ACCOMMODATION, COS THERE'S SO MANY FAMILIES LIVING WITH OTHER FAMILIES. I MEAN, THERE IS. YOU WOULDN'T REALISE IT, AND YOU DON'T SEE IT BECAUSE IT'S ALL INDOORS. RENEE GREY FIRST NOTICED SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER ABOUT THE RISING NUMBER OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN HER TOWN. EARLIER THIS YEAR SHE DECIDED SHE HAD TO HELP. AT FIRST SHE THOUGHT SHE'D SIMPLY BE FINDING PEOPLE SOMEWHERE SAFE AND DRY TO LIVE, BUT SHE SOON REALISED THEY NEEDED MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I HELP PEOPLE WITH CVs, WITH JOB SEARCH, WITH THEIR APPOINTMENTS, WITH WINZ, WINZ APPOINTMENTS, GETTING THEIR BENEFITS REINSTATED, BUDGETING SERVICES, WITH FOOD, BLANKETS, CLOTHING, ANYTHING` PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT ACROSS TAUPO IN ALLEYWAYS LIKE THIS PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING. IN FACT, HERE WE'VE COME ACROSS TOWELS, BLANKETS, HOT-WATER BOTTLES, SOCKS ` CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT SOMEONE IS USING THIS AS THEIR BEDROOM. THERE'S QUITE A FEW. YEAH, THERE'S QUITE A FEW. I'VE SEEN SOME. I'VE HEARD OF SOME. I'VE HEARD OF SOME FAMILIES LIVING IN CARS. SO HOW DID IT COME TO THIS ` A BIG-CITY PROBLEM IN A SMALL-TOWN PARADISE? LIKE AUCKLAND, THERE'S A RENTAL SQUEEZE. I GUESS THE RENTALS ARE REALLY PICKY AND FUSSY BECAUSE THEY CAN AFFORD TO BE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT NEED RENTALS. SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES THAT CHECK EVERY BOX, THE BEST CANDIDATES. MAYOR DAVID TREWAVAS SAYS THE TOWN'S ALSO SEEN AN INFLUX OF AUCKLANDERS, ESCAPING SKYROCKETING HOUSE PRICES IN OUR BIGGEST CITY. THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND INDUSTRY TOLD ME THAT TRANSACTIONAL SALES HAVE DOUBLED OVER THE LAST YEAR. THERE'S A LACK OF STOCK. THERE'S A LACK OF RENTALS AVAILABLE. 47% OF TAUPO PROPERTIES ARE VACANT, EXCEPT ON THE LONG WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAY BREAKS WHEN THEIR OWNERS COME FOR A HOLIDAY. AND LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, TOURISM IS BOOMING. THAT MEANS MORE WORKERS ARE NEEDED, ADDING TO THE PRESSURE. THEY MIGHT BE TRANSIENT, BUT, OF COURSE, ONE LOT COME IN, ONE LOT GO OUT, SO THEY NEED TO BE ACCOMMODATED SOMEWHERE. AND WE DON'T WANT THEM LIVING IN, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND RESERVES AND FREEDOM CAMPING, AS IT WERE. THIS IS REIDS FARM, A POPULAR FREEDOM CAMPING AREA BUT ALSO A SITE INCREASINGLY USED BY HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. THE COUNCIL'S BECOME SO CONCERNED ABOUT ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR THAT IT'S CLOSED IT DOWN WHILE IT WORKS ON A NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN. BUT THAT MEANS THERE'S EVEN FEWER PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SLEEP. THE COUNCIL'S GOT A SOLUTION ` DEVELOPING THIS 200HA BIT OF LAND FOR HOUSING. WE COULD PERHAPS DO SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'LL TAKE SOME TIME, BUT LOCALS LIKE RENEE ARE RALLYING HELP NOW. SHE'S SETTING UP A TRUST... SO, THERE'S MY NUMBER. ...AND IS DISTRIBUTING FLYERS ALL OVER TOWN OFFERING HELP TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. DOES IT SURPRISE YOU THAT IT TAKES SOMEONE LIKE YOU TO BE HELPING THESE PEOPLE? (SIGHS) IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING IT, MAYBE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN SO MUCH ATTENTION OR HAVEN'T TRIED TO DO IT ON SUCH A SCALE. BUT I KNOW THAT MANY POOR FAMILIES IN NZ, EVEN SOLO PARENTS, HAVE TAKEN IN PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HOMELESS. HELLO. HI THERE. HOW ARE YOU? HI. HOW ARE YOU? RENEE'S ALSO BEEN HEARTENED BY THE RESPONSE FROM MOTELS AND BACKPACKER'S, OFFERING UP SOME OF THEIR BEDS. BECAUSE IF THERE WASN'T PEOPLE LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW...? AND IF WE CAN HELP PEOPLE, WE CERTAINLY WILL. BUT BEARING IN MIND THAT WE STILL RUN A BUSINESS. LEON HARRALD, A SOUTH AFRICAN EXPAT, HAS NOTICED MORE PEOPLE NEEDING HELP THIS WINTER, WITH PEOPLE COMING IN ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. WHY ARE ALL PEOPLE BATTLING TO FIND HOUSING? AND THE HOUSES THEY FIND ARE EITHER OUT OF THEIR REACH OR THEY'RE JUST NOT SUITABLE FOR WHAT THEY WANT. RIGHT, THIS IS ONE OF OUR UNITS THAT... AND MANY OF THEM ARE FAMILIES. THERE WAS ACTUALLY THREE SISTERS THAT LIVED HERE AT ONE TIME, AND THEY HAD THREE ROOMS NEXT DOOR TO ONE ANOTHER ` THREE OF OUR CABINS. THAT WORKED QUITE WELL FOR THEM. BUT THEY WERE ALSO PEOPLE THAT WERE LOOKING FOR A HOUSE, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE FAMILIES WERE LARGE, SO THEY NEEDED A LARGE HOUSE AND THEY JUST COULDN'T FIND ONE. NOW, THIS IS JUST A` ONE OF THE SMALLER UNITS. EVEN WORK & INCOME HAVE STARTED SENDING HELP THEIR WAY. IF WE HAD A COUPLE COME TO STAY WITH US, THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD PROBABLY HOUSE THEM. THIS HAS TWO SINGLE BEDS AND A LITTLE KITCHENETTE. WE HAVE REGULAR CHATS TO WINZ PEOPLE SO THAT WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY TOES THE LINE. WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY THEM, AND THEY DO THE RIGHT THING BY US, SO... AND LEON HAS OFFERED SOME OF THOSE NEEDING HELP PART-TIME WORK. WE WOULD EMPLOY THEM TO CLEAN FOR US OR EVEN JUST TO HELP TIDY UP THE GARDENS. I THINK IT WORKS BOTH WAYS. WHILE LEON'S BEEN HAPPY TO DO HIS BIT, RENEE GREY SAYS OTHER ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT TURNING VISITORS OFF COMING TO THE TOURIST TOWN. TRAVELLERS AND TOURISTS ARE COMING HERE FOR THE KIWI EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, SO THEY WANT THE BEST OF WHAT NZ HAS TO OFFER. THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE HOMELESS OR LOCALS OR PEOPLE ON THE BENEFIT OR PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING, YOU KNOW, OR POOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DOWN AND OUT. THE MAYOR IS ALSO CALLING ON THE COMMUNITY TO HELP. HE HIMSELF TOOK ON AIDING A HOMELESS MAN, RICKY. RECENTLY OUT OF JAIL AND LIVING ON THE STREETS, HE PUT HIM IN TOUCH WITH RENEE. HE WAS WALKING PAST WHILE I WAS ON THE STREETS. YEAH, JUST SITTING DOWN AND BUSKING. AND THEN HE CAME UP AND TALKED TO ME AND SAID THAT HE WAS THE MAYOR OF TAUPO, AND I... RICKY MOVED INTO ONE OF LEON'S UNITS AND IS READJUSTING TO LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE WITH HELP FROM RENEE. SHE IS DETERMINED TO KEEP DOING HER WORK BUT SAYS SHE NEEDS HELP TOO. I'M STRUGGLING, ACTUALLY, WEEK TO WEEK FOR PETROL, JUST TO RUN AROUND AND DO WHAT I DO. I DON'T THINK I'LL STOP UNTIL THE PROBLEM'S TAKEN CARE OF. RENEE GREY ENDING THAT REPORT BY KATIE BRADFORD. TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE, LABOUR'S HOUSING SPOKESPERSON, PHIL TWYFORD, JOINS ME NOW. Let's talk about solutions. What can the government do right now this week? What they should do is declare a state of emergency. The latest independent research says there are about 41,000 Nzers were homeless. This includes people living in Grants and family squash together in a single house. This is a social crisis. What they should do is massively increased resourcing for this. It's just not good enough to leave this job to volunteers. She's an angel, and there are people like Renee all over NZ. But this needs resources only the government can bring. Why do we need a state of emergency? There are a lot of ideas. Some are proposing that Auckland sold prison be used, maybe the pod housing. But I don't care how you do it. Just do it. But why the state of emergency? How does that help? This is a crisis. Unacceptable living conditions. It is the governments job to show some urgency. They could lease the homes overnight if they chose to. But they lack the political will and sense of urgency. Wouldn't be a terrible look for declaring a state of emergency? This is a disastrous look. It's not about how the world see us. This is profoundly disturbing because it calls to question who we are as a nation. How is it OK for mother and kids to rent $400 a week to pay for a cockroach infested cabin? Maybe it doesn't affect people personally. Are we turning a blind eye? I think the public library they concern. The fact that the homelessness crisis now affects young families, 52% of the homeless are either in paid employment or studying. That is unbelievable. For people who were earning a wage to be homeless, something is seriously out of whack. It's the government that is a possum in the headlights. You talked about international attention that we are getting on this. How embarrassing is that for us? It is extremely. We should be able to provide housing for everybody. The problem in Taupo is a desperate shortage of affordable housing. Let's talk about the state of emergency. If you brought intense, is that a better option than the cabins? We need to put warm, dry roofs. I would pushback on this question. We need more affordable housing. The government is selling off statehouses instead of building them. That is perhaps a medium more longer-term goal. What about the short-term solution? I think the government is in denial about the housing crisis. But they are even challenging the official statistic NZ definition of homelessness. They don't want to count people who were crammed into single rooms and shared houses or people sleeping in their cars. Do we think someone sleeping in the car isn't homeless? Someone who is sleeping in and uninsulated outhouse? WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT MAY BE THE HOTTEST MAYORAL CONTEST IN THE COUNTRY, AND FITTINGLY, IT'S IN THE CAPITAL, WHERE EIGHT CANDIDATES ARE LINING UP FOR THE TOP JOB. WHENA OWEN REPORTS ON A FASCINATING RACE. LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL. State of emergency. That is what they're asking for. Something has to be done. I don't think Phil Twyford actually articulated what Labour would declare differently. It's just words, not an action. There actually things been done but it will take time. I think Phil Twyford is probably at least of overreaching with its 41,000 figure. He he implied that they are not living with warm dry roofs over their head. That is not the case. Let's break it down. 71% with family or friends. A huge majority are staying with family and friends. So the issue of homelessness is not actually having a place to live in separate. Still to much though. It has remained relatively stable since 2006. That is the hard end of homelessness. Of course there agencies involved. Of course it government has emergency funds and providers for those people. The that's a problem you can never eliminate it entirely. Sleeping on a sofa being stuck with friends isn't good enough? That is the national party line. There is the problem so it does need to be solved. Nick Smith admitted that the special housing areas will not contain affordable housing. This is hurting the government badly. This is the kind of nonsense that there is not the problem. Wise national vote dropping? A recent online poll has it down to 42% that is a defeat. What has Labour done? Jamie Bell. A policy to build 10,000 houses. It is traditionally with governments have done in NZ over the entire history of the country. My parents were funded into the house by state. That's how it works. That's how you solved it. It's not going to be solved if we hear this kind of nonsense that there is no problem. I didn't say it that way. Well, you did. I think the problem is being blown out of proportion. The most prominent people are helping. It should be the government. People in the community shouldn't have to be doing that job. That 41,000 figure ` a severe housing deprivation. Not exactly homelessness. The term of this government, the number of statehouses has reduced by over 2000. I can't remember the exact figures. The government has found itself in a crisis at it hasn't managed proactively. Options has been reduced. We should have been building more, particularly under the time post GFC. They are throwing a lot of box. $41 million in May. The point is being made is very important. There were 69,000 statehouses in about 2005. There are now just over 60,000. That's 9000 gone missing. If you issue me now for over 5 people per house, then that neatly solves the problem. The erosion in the state housing under national has caused the problem. But there is no indication that they need to build more statehouses/ housing NZ is adding 2000 houses alone in the next 2 years. It's false to say they're getting rid of houses and not solving. They just sold houses and thought out loud. This is the government ignoring the problem and withdrawing from the problem. But those asses out and gone anywhere. They just been provided by someone else. That is why the government has contracted it out. We are better than this. We have attracted international attention for Third World problem. They should've been a vote difference. I think the government is certainly very vulnerable over this issue. This will eat away at the governmental electoral support by how much, I don't want to make predictions. Certainly it is definitely a national political issue. WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A FEW DIFFERENT LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. TODAY WE START IN THE CAPITAL, WITH A CONTEST THAT HAS ALL THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE WE'D EXPECT IN WELLINGTON. HERE'S WHENA OWEN. THE DATSUN VIOLETS' 'YOU CAN'T BEAT WELLINGTON (ON A GOOD DAY)' # YOU CAN'T BEAT WELLINGTON. # IT'S A CLICHE, BUT NONETHELESS IT'S TRUE. # I'M JUSTIN LESTER. MY NAME IS NICOLA YOUNG. I'M ANDY FOSTER. HELENE RITCHIE. KEITH JOHNSON. JO COUGHLAN. NICK LEGGETT. AND THEY ALL WANT TO BE MAYOR OF WELLINGTON. THEY THINK THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE... MY FAMILY HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE 1847. I WANT TO BE ON THE COUNCIL AS THE MAYOR AND LEAD THE CITY TO ITS GREATEST POTENTIAL. I CAN WORK AROUND THE TABLE, AND I'VE PROVEN THAT OVER SIX YEARS AS A NORTHERN WARD COUNCILLOR. A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS. I'VE BEEN DOING THOSE THINGS FOR MANY YEARS. BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR THE LAST NINE, CURRENTLY LEAD THE ECONOMIC PORTFOLIO, AND I WANT TO BE THE MAYOR OF WELLINGTON. I'VE SPENT A LIFETIME IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. I'VE WORKED IN 27 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. I HAVE THE NECESSARY EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE TO TAKE THIS BOUTIQUE CITY INTO THE FUTURE. FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, I'VE BEEN PROUD TO BE THE MAYOR OF PORIRUA, BUT I'VE CHOSEN TO STEP DOWN THERE, AND I THINK WELLINGTON NEEDS TO DO BETTER, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M STANDING. BUT THAT'S ONLY SEVEN CANDIDATES. THE EIGHTH CANDIDATE IS CAMERA-SHY. HE WOULDN'T RETURN OUR PHONE CALLS. HE'S JOHNNY OVERTON, A GUERILLA GARDENER FROM THE LOCALISATION PARTY, AND HE WANTS TO BUILD THIS DOME THING IN MIRAMAR. # WHEN YOU'RE ALONE AND LIFE IS MAKING YOU LONELY, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO # DOWNTOWN. # THIS MAYORALTY RACE HAS BEEN DEFINED BY THE WILD FIELD OF CANDIDATES AND THE KEEN INTEREST FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT POLITICIANS. ANDREW LITTLE ENDORSING JUSTIN LESTER AND DISTANCING HIS MPS FROM FORMER LABOUR PARTY MEMBER NICK LEGGETT. I THINK PARTY POLITICS DON'T HAVE A PLACE, AND I THINK ANDREW'S INTERVENTION IN THE WELLINGTON MAYORAL RACE IS INDICATIVE OF WHY PARTY POLITICS SHOULD BE KICKED OUT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I LIVED IN A STATE HOUSE. MY VALUES ARE LABOUR. THERE'S NO LABOUR WAY TO PUT IN SEWERAGE. THERE'S NO NATIONAL WAY TO PUT PIPES IN THE GROUND. < OR ACT WAY. OR ACT WAY. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE ACT THING CAME FROM. PETULA CLARK'S 'DOWNTOWN' CONTINUES UNOFFICIAL POLLS INDICATE THAT LEGGETT, LESTER AND COUGHLAN ARE THE FRONT-RUNNERS. I'VE CALLED PERSONALLY 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS. < YOU'VE CALLED 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS? 10,000 PERSONALLY. WITH AN ADVERTISING COMPANY BEHIND HER, JO COUGHLAN IS THE MOST VISIBLE AROUND TOWN. LOOK, I'M JUST THRILLED THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO RECITE SOME OF MY LINES LIKE 'TOOT FOR A SECOND TUNNEL' AND 'FOUR LANES TO THE PLANES'. FOUR LANES TO THE PLANES IS RUBBISH. WHAT ABOUT, 'LET'S GO, WELLINGTON?' LET'S GO WHERE? > LET'S GO, WELLINGTON. LET'S JUST GO. LET'S JUST DO IT. THE OTHERS DO HAVE OTHER AGENDAS. THEY HAVE SAID SO. ONE WANTS TO BE PRIME MINISTER. ANOTHER WILL PROBABLY BE A NATIONAL PARTY CANDIDATE ONE DAY AS THE SISTER-IN-LAW OF THE FINANCE MINISTER. ANOTHER IS STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY ACT. FUNKY MUSIC BACK IN 2013, WE WERE TOLD THE CITY WAS DYING. JOHN KEY GOT STUCK IN THERE AND TOLD US WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC. ACTUALLY, NOW THE ECONOMY IS BOOMING. AS WE KNOW, HOUSE PRICES ARE GOING UP. WE'RE ACTUALLY GROWING AT A RATE WHICH IS FASTER THAN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. JOHNSON'S HILLSIDE HOME OVERLOOKS A LEGACY OF THE CURRENT COUNCIL AND MAYOR, THE ISLAND BAY CYCLEWAY. A DISASTER. WELL, ISLAND BAY HAS BEEN A VERY PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE AS PAINFUL AS IT HAS BEEN. THE ISLAND BAY CYCLEWAY HAS BEEN A REAL DISASTER FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. IT'S DAMAGED OUR REPUTATION AND DIVIDED A COMMUNITY. AND THIS CYCLIST STILL PREFERS THE ROAD TO THE $2M CYCLE LANE. ROADING AND TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE MT VICTORIA TUNNEL, WILL BE A PRIORITY FOR THE NEW MAYOR. I'M COMMITTED TO GETTING A SOLUTION. I THINK IT SHOULD A CUT-AND-COVER TUNNEL, JUST LIKE THE ARRAS TUNNEL, WHICH HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL OUTCOME FOR THE CITY. FOUR LANES TO THE PLANES. DOUBLE TUNNELS ` THE MT VIC AND TERRACE TUNNELS. SECURE A BILLION DOLLARS WORHT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR OUR ROADS. THE PROPOSED EXTENSION TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS ALSO A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE FOR THE CAPITAL. I DON'T BELIEVE THE RUNWAY EXTENSION IS GOING TO BE THE SILVER BULLET THAT EVERYONE THINKS IT'S GOING TO BE. IT NEEDS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE EXTENSION TO AN AIRPORT IS PART OF THAT. IT'D BE GREAT TO EXTEND THE WELLINGTON RUNWAY. WE REALLY NEED LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS OUT OF WELLINGTON, AND WE NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. # YOU CAN'T BEAT WELLINGTON ON A GOOD DAY. # OR EVEN A BAD DAY TOO. # ONE MESSAGE ALL CANDIDATES AGREE ON ` THAT PEOPLE NEED TO REALISE HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM. LAST ELECTION ONLY 40% OF WELLINGTON VOTERS TURNED OUT. LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON ALMOST EVERYTHING WE DO EVERY DAY. THE MOMENT YOU TURN ON THE TAP IN THE MORNING, THAT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT. FOR MOST PEOPLE, WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL HAS A GREATER IMPACT ON THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE THAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WOULD. < A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU, ANDY? OH, A FUN FACT ABOUT ME? A FUN FACT ABOUT ME ` I USED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF TV ACTING WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HERE, AND I'D HAVE TO CHANGE SCHOOLS. I PLAYED DAVID LANGE'S SON ROY IN A TELE-DRAMA CALLED 'FALLOUT'. GIDDAY, DAD. HI THERE. I'M VERY GOOD AT THROWING A FLEECE. I WAS ON A NUMBER OF QUIZ SHOWS. I'VE BEEN ON 'THE KRYPTON FACTOR' A FEW TIMES. TONIGHT THIS TROPHY WILL FIND A PERFMANENT HOME. < YOU GOT A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF? WELL, I'M JUST FUN MYSELF. I THINK I'M THE ONLY MAYORAL CANDIDATE WHO'S ACTUALLY BEEN SHOT AT. I SAID 'FUN FACT', KEITH. FUN FACT ABOUT ME ` I LIVED IN GERMANY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, SO I SPEAK FLUENT GERMAN. ANOTHER FUN FACT IS HIS NEW NEIGHBOUR FROM PORIRUA. < SO, YOU'VE GOT A NEW NEIGHBOUR. YES, I DO. < YOU'VE MOVED IN OPPOSITE TO JUSTIN LESTER? YES, IT IS. YES, IT IS. < YOU HAVE? YES, AND THAT WASN'T DELIBERATE, AND SO POOR OLD JUSTIN. IT WAS A BIT FUNNY WHEN WE FIRST FOUND OUT WE WERE LIVING ACROSS THE ROAD FROM EACH OTHER. YES, IT'S A SMALL CITY, BUT NICK LEGGETT HASN'T RULED OUT EVENTUALLY LEADING A SUPERCITY IF HE'S MAYOR. THE DOOR WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN FOR ME IN TERMS OF AMALGAMATION. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SHUT THAT DOOR. BUT FOR NOW EVERYONE'S FOCUSED ON WELLINGTON CITY'S TOP JOB, AND NO ONE'S CLEARLY AHEAD. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A CLOSE ELECTION, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OUTCOME ON ELECTION NIGHT. THIS IS, I THINK, ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING POLITICAL DECISIONS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD GO ANY WHICH WAY. WE'RE STAYING WITH WELLINGTON FOR OUR POLITICAL HISTORY CLIP. WE LOOK BACK TO 1958, AND A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR LED TO THE BUILDING OF NEW SATELLITE TOWNS. WHICH CITY WAS CREATED ON THIS FARMLAND? THE ANSWER IS NEXT. SOME OF YOUR FEEDBACK NOW, SOME OF YOUR FEEDBACK NOW, AND ON THE ISSUE OF SEX OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY ` GREGORY PATEL ON TWITTER SAYS, "PUT OFFENDERS WHERE POLICE ARE. "JOHN KEY HAS A TWO-MINUTE RESPONSE TIME TO BURGLARY ` "SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT SPOT." MARTYN BRADBURY SAYS, "FOR FIRST TIME IN NZ HISTORY, "WE HAVE SEX OFFENDERS WHO'VE SERVED FULL SENTENCE MINUS ANY REHAB, "AND WE ACT SURPRISED WHEN IT FAILS?" GAVIN SIMON WONDERS IF CORRECTIONS ARE PURPOSELY HOUSING CRIMINALS NEAR SCHOOLS TO GET PUBLIC PROTECTION ORDERS FROM COURTS. BEFORE WE GO, WE LOOK BACK TO NZ'S POPULATION BOOM AFTER WORLD WAR TWO. OUR CITIES HAD TO GROW TOO, AND TODAY'S POLITICAL HISTORY LOOKS AT HOW PORIRUA GREW FROM A SMALL RURAL VILLAGE TO A MAJOR TOWN CENTRE. THIS PICTORIAL PARADE IS FROM 1958. EVERY WEEK SEES MORE SECTIONS PLOTTED AND SURVEYED. TO DATE, 2000 HOMES HAVE BEEN BUILT. AND AS THE PEGS GO DOWN ON ONE MORE SITE, THE TILES GO UP ON ONE MORE ROOF. EARTHMOVING, SURVEYING AND BUILDING ARE ALL BEING DONE SIMULTANEOUSLY. FOOTPATHS ARE LAID IN STREETS WHERE, AS YET, THERE'S NO ONE TO WALK ON THEM. BUT IN A FEW MONTHS THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF PEOPLE ` HOUSEWIVES, SCHOOLCHILDREN, THE MEN WHO WILL BE TAKING JOBS IN THE TOWN'S NEW INDUSTRIES. WELLINGTON IS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS, AND PORIRUA'S DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE HOMES FOR THE SMITHS AND THE SCOTTS, THE MCHALES AND THE FOWLERS. ALL OVER THE AREA, FROM TAWA FLAT TO TITAHI BAY, NEW TOWNS ARE RISING. BIG THINGS ARE PLANNED FOR WHAT IS NOW PORIRUA EAST AND WHAT MAY SOON BE PORIRUA CITY. ALREADY A NEW SHOPPING CENTRE IS OPERATING, AND SITES FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED SHOPS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE. THE CHILDREN HERE WILL GROW UP IN AN ATTRACTIVE, WELL-PLANNED COMMUNITY. AS THE POPULATION GROWS AND SETTLEMENTS EXPAND, THE DOZERS WILL MOVE EVEN FURTHER INTO THE HILLS, SAVING THE FERTILE FLAT LAND AND CARVING OUT THE SHAPE OF CITIES TO COME. WAKA HUIA IS NEXT. REMEMBER Q+A REPEATS TONIGHT AT 11.35PM. THANKS FOR WATCHING AND THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS AND THOSE WERE THE ANSWERS. THAT'S Q+A. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 9. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND GLENNA CASALME. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016.