❓ Mr. Logan questions the Housing Minister about a family allegedly told to live in their car while awaiting priority housing. The Minister responds, detailing support offered but not taken up, leading to heated exchanges.
AnsweredQoN 323Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — AVAILABILITY
323. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Housing:
I raise the plight of Mr Brett Chivers, who is in the public
gallery today, and his wife and three young children who are urgently seeking
priority housing.
Given that Mr Chivers told ABC Television news on Sunday,
minister —
Mr W.R. Marmion : I
have already got an answer.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I
have not asked the question, so if the minister has —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Energy, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
F.M. LOGAN : If the minister has an answer to the question that I have not
read out, he is a genius!
I will go to the very serious issue
of homelessness in Western Australia. Given that Mr Chivers told ABC TV news on
Sunday, ''Two weeks ago when I went to Homeswest, they turned around and
told me that, 'Well, other families are sleeping in their car and then
you'll just have to do the same.''' I might add,
minister, he was also told that again just yesterday. I ask —
(1) Is it the
official policy of the Barnett government that families with young children
seeking priority accommodation should live in their cars?
(2) On what date will the Chivers family be found suitable
accommodation?
323. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Housing:
I raise the plight of Mr Brett Chivers, who is in the public
gallery today, and his wife and three young children who are urgently seeking
priority housing.
Given that Mr Chivers told ABC Television news on Sunday,
minister —
Mr W.R. Marmion : I
have already got an answer.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I
have not asked the question, so if the minister has —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Energy, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
F.M. LOGAN : If the minister has an answer to the question that I have not
read out, he is a genius!
I will go to the very serious issue
of homelessness in Western Australia. Given that Mr Chivers told ABC TV news on
Sunday, ''Two weeks ago when I went to Homeswest, they turned around and
told me that, 'Well, other families are sleeping in their car and then
you'll just have to do the same.''' I might add,
minister, he was also told that again just yesterday. I ask —
(1) Is it the
official policy of the Barnett government that families with young children
seeking priority accommodation should live in their cars?
(2) On what date will the Chivers family be found suitable
accommodation?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
This is a very serious issue that the member for Cockburn has raised. Sadly,
there are people in the community who are finding it a bit tough. It is very
disappointing that the member for Cockburn actually takes advantage of people
in these difficult circumstances.
Several
members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, I suggest that you watch your language
in the first instance. In the second instance, let the minister answer the
question. I call you to order for the first time. Minister, confine yourself to
the answer and address the Chair.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Yes, thank you, Mr Speaker; and thank you for that good advice.
Of course we are concerned about individual cases. I have
advice from the Department for Child Protection and Family Support that it has
been working with this family for six weeks. I will not go through the detail
of that because it is confidential —
Mr
R.H. Cook : Why bring it up?
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I will not go through the detail; I will go through a
summation. Members opposite may be interested: the family is listed for
priority assistance with the department. They have been offered bond
assistance, which they have not taken up. Unfortunately because of their
non-payment of rent, obviously the private market has closed up. However, the
department for child protection has offered —
Mr
F.M. Logan : You're slandering the poor fellow. That is not fair.
That is just not true.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : Mr Speaker, I am trying to answer the question.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, you have a supplementary question if you want
it. We are getting absolutely nowhere here.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The issue of homelessness is dealt with by another minister in the other
chamber. We work in with that other minister. The advice I have here from the
Department for Child Protection and Family Support is that the family was
offered support but it was not taken up. I have also been advised that
information about the children not attending school is not true. The Department
of Education—another agency that we obviously deal with—has
advised me that the children have been attending school.
This is a very serious issue that the member for Cockburn has raised. Sadly,
there are people in the community who are finding it a bit tough. It is very
disappointing that the member for Cockburn actually takes advantage of people
in these difficult circumstances.
Several
members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, I suggest that you watch your language
in the first instance. In the second instance, let the minister answer the
question. I call you to order for the first time. Minister, confine yourself to
the answer and address the Chair.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Yes, thank you, Mr Speaker; and thank you for that good advice.
Of course we are concerned about individual cases. I have
advice from the Department for Child Protection and Family Support that it has
been working with this family for six weeks. I will not go through the detail
of that because it is confidential —
Mr
R.H. Cook : Why bring it up?
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I will not go through the detail; I will go through a
summation. Members opposite may be interested: the family is listed for
priority assistance with the department. They have been offered bond
assistance, which they have not taken up. Unfortunately because of their
non-payment of rent, obviously the private market has closed up. However, the
department for child protection has offered —
Mr
F.M. Logan : You're slandering the poor fellow. That is not fair.
That is just not true.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : Mr Speaker, I am trying to answer the question.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cockburn, you have a supplementary question if you want
it. We are getting absolutely nowhere here.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The issue of homelessness is dealt with by another minister in the other
chamber. We work in with that other minister. The advice I have here from the
Department for Child Protection and Family Support is that the family was
offered support but it was not taken up. I have also been advised that
information about the children not attending school is not true. The Department
of Education—another agency that we obviously deal with—has
advised me that the children have been attending school.
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