It was the first day of the next big political match: Judith Collins vs Megan Woods.
Question Time today was their first encounter since former Housing Minister Phil Twyford suffered the ignominy of having to hand over Kiwibuild to Megan Woods in the Cabinet reshuffle, along with the KiwiBuild"reset."
It was a long curtain-raiser, however.
First came the tributes to the Silver Ferns and Black Caps from Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Marama Davidson for the Greens and David Seymour for Act.
Simon Bridges versus Jacinda Ardern proved a lengthy curtain-raiser to the first encounter since the KiwiBuild reshuffle. Photos / Mark Mitchell
New Zealand's First leader Winston Peters did not join in. He takes the view that it's wrong for politicians to claim glory that is owed to the sports teams (and says Ardern was speaking on behalf of everyone).
When Bridges said the Silver Ferns' story was one or resilience and a comeback like no other, it sounded like wishful thinking – without the 16-year wait for a win.
There was more. There was a short intake of breath when it appeared that Deputy Speaker Anne Tolley might be being replaced for her efforts in upsetting youth "MPs" in the Youth Parliament.
However, it turned out to be a formal process to replace the Assistant Speaker Poto Williams, not the deputy. Williams was promoted in the reshuffle to a minister.
Then it appeared the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick might be moving against Tolley when she sought to table an open letter signed by 79 youth parliamentarians. It turned out to be a letter calling for the House to declare a climate emergency.
There will still a way to get to Collins vs Woods at Number 6, including two questions from Bridges to Ardern, the first on the cost of living in which they sparred over rents, wages, and hardship grants and the second on Bridges' favourite subject, roads.
New Housing Minister Megan Woods faced her first Question Time against Judith Collins. Photo / Audrey Young
They sparred over whether Phil Twyford has actually cancelled the big roading projects promised by National, such as Whangarei to Warkworth, or simply put them on the back-burner.
Those promised amounted to "ghost roads" Ardern declared, reminiscent of NZTA's "ghost chips" ad against drink driving.
"I note that many National Party members around the country are putting up billboards about ghost roads, which never, ever, ever had the funding to deliver," she said.
That got the same raucous acclaim from her side as Bridges got when asked for the construction date of light rail to the Auckland airport and for the cost-benefit ratio.
Ardern: "If the member wants specific details for our projects, he may as well ask the Minister of Transport [Phil Twyford]."
Finally it was Judith Collins' turn to put the heat on Megan Woods.
Collins' resisted any sense of triumphalism over her role in having ousted Twyford from the role.
She expressed her sympathy for him at the time – which may have been fractionally worse than gloating.
Woods has spent the three-week recess swatting up on KiwiBuild and talking to developers ahead of the so-called KiwiBuild "reset" which Collins says would be better termed a "retreat."
Judith Collins had already expressed her sympathy over the demise of former Housing Minister Phil Twyford. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Woods appeared uncharacteristically nervous as she shuffled her papers while reaching for answers. Phil Twyford was sitting right next door. But Ardern has huge confidence in her ability and political skills.
Collins: "How does the Government define what are 'new homes off the plan'?"
Woods: "Sorry, could the member please repeat the question."
Once she had settled, Woods said the definition varied from deal to deal but that the primary objective was to increase the supply of dwellings at affordable price points for entry-level buyers.
Collins wanted to know how 10 apartments in Otahuhu could be considered to be in a planning stage when they were already built, already had a code of compliance certificate and had already been unsuccessfully marketed before being signed up for a Kiwibuild Buying off the Plans initiative.
Woods said the underwriting allowed developers to move more quickly onto the next project.
Phil Twyford, right, in happier housing times at the opening of the first Kiwibuild home in Papakura in September last year, with John Penny from Penny Homes.
The underwrite at Otahuhu had allowed the same developer to move more quickly to one in Onehunga and then to one in Northcote which the developer had said would have been "just a twinkle in his eye without KiwiBuild."
Woods: "I note that in only a few days, 102 apartments, 72 of which will be KiwiBuild, at Northcote will be available."
Collins moved onto her punchline. Did the new minister know that KiwiBuild houses in Canterbury, Huapai and Otahuhu would not qualify as new houses under the Government's HomeStart because the code of compliance certificates were issued by the council more than six months before they were able to be purchased.
Woods blunted Collins' attack by acknowledging the problem and saying she would address it and other problems that made it hard to buy off the plans.
"I'm more than happy to look at these kinds of things," said Woods.
"That member should know that her Government made a commitment to deliver 39,000 houses over three years under the special housing areas. They delivered 3157, of which 100 were affordable."
"We don't pretend this is easy."
It may not have been an easy start by Megan Woods either, but it seems she will be a match for Collins.
