❓ Question regarding the impact on remote Indigenous communities in WA if the Commonwealth withdraws funding for remote housing. The Minister's response is highly critical of the Commonwealth's position and the previous WA government's record.
AnsweredQoN 479Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
ON REMOTE INDIGENOUS HOUSING
479. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the 12 000 Western Australians
living in remote communities across the state. Can the minister outline to this
house what it will mean for their disadvantaged communities if the commonwealth
government walks away from its long-held responsibility of funding remote
housing in this state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
ON REMOTE INDIGENOUS HOUSING
479. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the 12 000 Western Australians
living in remote communities across the state. Can the minister outline to this
house what it will mean for their disadvantaged communities if the commonwealth
government walks away from its long-held responsibility of funding remote
housing in this state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Wanneroo for
the question. I am pleased to see that the National Party has finally raised
this issue in the Parliament of Western Australia after being silent on it for
the last 15 months.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I note that
the Liberal Party has yet to raise this issue and I am surprised by that in
light of the most extraordinary speech I think I have heard from a leader of a political
party, which was made earlier today by the Leader of the Opposition. There
would not be a serious leader of a political party in this country who would
have delivered that sort of outrageous speech, but that is the nature of the
Leader of the Opposition.
Dr M.D. Nahan : You do not
care about the kids in Roebourne.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is on his feet.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Leader of the
Opposition, I want to just make one point on that. At a time that was supposed
to be about survivors of institutional child abuse, the Leader of the
Opposition decided to make —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The Leader of
the Opposition decided to make a party-political partisan speech, which I noticed
his colleagues behind him were rather awkward about.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I am simply
making the point that there is not a serious leader of a political party in the
country who would have made that speech. I think the lack of filter that the
Leader of the Opposition has highlighted that.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr B.S. WYATT : Interestingly,
Senator Scullion, who I think is the Leader of the Country Liberal Party in the
Northern Territory, seems to articulate this position that the commonwealth
government has been involved in the provision of housing in remote Aboriginal
communities for only 10 years, for the duration of the national partnership
that expires at the end of this week, which of course is not the case. The
commonwealth has been involved in the construction of housing in remote
communities for 50 years. Mr Scullion is of the view that we as a state should
simply accept a very small cheque to allow the commonwealth to walk away. I do
not accept that and the government does not accept that. I want to highlight
one point, because I am curious and surprised that the member for North West
Central would support the comments of Mr Scullion. I will read something he
said. I think the member for Warren–Blackwood will be interested in
this. This is what Senator Scullion said about WA in an email he sent out to
journalists. I quote the email —
Since 2008 the Commonwealth has
invested $1.16 billion to build 854 houses and 1,705 refurbishments in Western Australia
across 94 communities. In this same time the WA Government invested nothing and
delivered nothing.
I was not in government during most
of that time, but I know that is not true. I know that the former government
invested in remote communities. Despite a strong percentage of its members
wanting to close those communities down, I know that the former government
invested in housing in those communities. The point I am making, before the
member the North West Central goes about backing Nigel Scullion, is that he is
at war with the state. It does not matter who is in power, he is throwing the
former government under the bus. He is saying to the media that it delivered nothing
and invested nothing. At the same time he managed to find $500 million for the
investment in remote housing in his own territory, but when it comes to Western
Australia and indeed Queensland, the two states most affected—nothing;
no engagement, no desire to engage, indeed he wants to throw some sheckles on
the ground and say, ''We are walking away.'' That is
unacceptable. We all know that the consequences of not constructing new housing
or refurbishing housing is overcrowding and we know what that does in respect
of, Leader of the Opposition, issues around child protection. I hope at some
point the Leader of the Opposition might raise a question in this house around
the issue he so blatantly politicised earlier today, because now is the time
for the Liberal Party and the National Party to take this up, perhaps not with
Nigel Scullion, because he has thrown us all under the bus, but with their
federal colleagues and get them back to the bargaining table with the starting
position of accepting that the commonwealth government has had for 50 years a long
responsibility of delivering housing into remote Western Australia and to at
least, at the very start, commit to that ongoing responsibility.
the question. I am pleased to see that the National Party has finally raised
this issue in the Parliament of Western Australia after being silent on it for
the last 15 months.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I note that
the Liberal Party has yet to raise this issue and I am surprised by that in
light of the most extraordinary speech I think I have heard from a leader of a political
party, which was made earlier today by the Leader of the Opposition. There
would not be a serious leader of a political party in this country who would
have delivered that sort of outrageous speech, but that is the nature of the
Leader of the Opposition.
Dr M.D. Nahan : You do not
care about the kids in Roebourne.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is on his feet.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Leader of the
Opposition, I want to just make one point on that. At a time that was supposed
to be about survivors of institutional child abuse, the Leader of the
Opposition decided to make —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The Leader of
the Opposition decided to make a party-political partisan speech, which I noticed
his colleagues behind him were rather awkward about.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I am simply
making the point that there is not a serious leader of a political party in the
country who would have made that speech. I think the lack of filter that the
Leader of the Opposition has highlighted that.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr B.S. WYATT : Interestingly,
Senator Scullion, who I think is the Leader of the Country Liberal Party in the
Northern Territory, seems to articulate this position that the commonwealth
government has been involved in the provision of housing in remote Aboriginal
communities for only 10 years, for the duration of the national partnership
that expires at the end of this week, which of course is not the case. The
commonwealth has been involved in the construction of housing in remote
communities for 50 years. Mr Scullion is of the view that we as a state should
simply accept a very small cheque to allow the commonwealth to walk away. I do
not accept that and the government does not accept that. I want to highlight
one point, because I am curious and surprised that the member for North West
Central would support the comments of Mr Scullion. I will read something he
said. I think the member for Warren–Blackwood will be interested in
this. This is what Senator Scullion said about WA in an email he sent out to
journalists. I quote the email —
Since 2008 the Commonwealth has
invested $1.16 billion to build 854 houses and 1,705 refurbishments in Western Australia
across 94 communities. In this same time the WA Government invested nothing and
delivered nothing.
I was not in government during most
of that time, but I know that is not true. I know that the former government
invested in remote communities. Despite a strong percentage of its members
wanting to close those communities down, I know that the former government
invested in housing in those communities. The point I am making, before the
member the North West Central goes about backing Nigel Scullion, is that he is
at war with the state. It does not matter who is in power, he is throwing the
former government under the bus. He is saying to the media that it delivered nothing
and invested nothing. At the same time he managed to find $500 million for the
investment in remote housing in his own territory, but when it comes to Western
Australia and indeed Queensland, the two states most affected—nothing;
no engagement, no desire to engage, indeed he wants to throw some sheckles on
the ground and say, ''We are walking away.'' That is
unacceptable. We all know that the consequences of not constructing new housing
or refurbishing housing is overcrowding and we know what that does in respect
of, Leader of the Opposition, issues around child protection. I hope at some
point the Leader of the Opposition might raise a question in this house around
the issue he so blatantly politicised earlier today, because now is the time
for the Liberal Party and the National Party to take this up, perhaps not with
Nigel Scullion, because he has thrown us all under the bus, but with their
federal colleagues and get them back to the bargaining table with the starting
position of accepting that the commonwealth government has had for 50 years a long
responsibility of delivering housing into remote Western Australia and to at
least, at the very start, commit to that ongoing responsibility.
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