Phil Twyford, Grant Robertson out of sync on KiwiBuild 10-year target

A simple question: how many KiwiBuild homes will be built?

If you don't know the answer, don't worry - even the Government is confused.

Housing Minister Phil Twyford was in pretty good spirits on Thursday after his crushing admission KiwiBuild would fail to hit its first year target.

"It will be very hard to meet the 1000 target in the first year," he told Newshub.

But Winston Peters will not accept failure.

"We're not giving up at all," he says. "We've got six months to wind this up as fast as we can."

He added that he believes the Government can get to 1000 homes built by July 1.

"He's full of optimism and confidence, just as I am," says Mr Twyford.

Simon Bridges says the Deputy Prime Minister's comment was "pretty strange".

"I mean if Phil Twyford says he can't do it, I'd take him at his word."

So far, just 47 homes have been built. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was adamant she still has faith in her Housing Minister.

"Yes I do, because we are building homes," she told Newshub from Davos.

The goal was to build 1000 by July this year. That's on the scrapheap, with only 300 now expected to be completed. By July next year, the goal was to have another 5000 built, with 10,000 the following year, then 12,000 every year for the rest of the programme.

It was all to reach the goal of 100,000 across a decade, to which Mr Twyford says he's still "totally committed".

But when Finance Minister Grant Robertson was asked by The AM Show whether 100,000 was still achievable, it was a different story.

"I don't think Phil's set that target," he says.

Mr Twyford insists Mr Robertson is committed to KiwiBuild and to the 100,000 homes target.

"I utterly reject the idea that there is any confusion," he says - yet Mr Robertson seems somewhat less confident.

"I don't want to make that commitment today, it's a 10-year programme," he told The AM Show.

They are on the same page on one thing though - it's time for a tune up.

"We are recalibrating some of the details of the policy," says Mr Twyford.

"Clearly we're in a process of recalibrating that at the moment," says Mr Robertson.

There's no denying New Zealand needs more affordable houses, but the Government's vehicle to deliver them feels like it need a whole lot more than just a recalibration to kickstart it.

Newshub.