❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Housing on the low net increase of social housing under Labor governments. The Minister deflects, criticising the previous Liberal government's handling of social housing and highlighting their own investments and remote community funding.
AnsweredQoN 317Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL HOUSING — PERFORMANCE
317. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Housing:
After numerous announcements on
housing, the minister's government has only delivered a net increase of
around 114 social houses in seven years. How does he explain such an appalling
record of poor performance in housing under the McGowan and Cook Labor
governments?
317. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Housing:
After numerous announcements on
housing, the minister's government has only delivered a net increase of
around 114 social houses in seven years. How does he explain such an appalling
record of poor performance in housing under the McGowan and Cook Labor
governments?
AnswerView source ↗
What we see from the opposition is a
total rewriting of its performance on social housing. I just want to put this
on the record. The Leader of the Liberal Party is already getting agitated
again, and I just want to put it on the record that we cannot speak for one
minute before she starts interjecting. That is how she has been operating.
What we have seen from the Liberal
Party of Western Australia is a total rewriting of history. Let us be very
clear what it left us. It left us enclaves of housing that were derelict and
well beyond being usable. In fact, the Brownlie Towers was only one example of
a large number of developments and enclaves that were left to us. It was
reported at the time that 160 apartments were just sitting there empty. Our
government was left with that mess. What people have seen from our government —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : Our
government has been working through major renewal projects and making
investments in that ageing stock—it is. North Beach was just left there
for us to fix. The Stirling Towers were left, as was Court Place. There
is a legacy of complexes and buildings that members opposite left and that we
are now having to invest in. We are having to make significant investments to
bring ageing stock back into the system and also to drive major renewal
projects. Now we are seeing that work, and we are making that investment.
Of course, the Liberals also relied
on the Kevin Rudd stimulus. Colin Barnett and his team paraded around, but that significant funding boost actually came from
the federal government. What happened to us? Do people remember what
happened to us under the Liberal government? It totally cut funding to remote
communities in 2019. That side, the Liberal
Party that expresses such deep concern for housing, stopped funding of remote
communities in total from the federal government. What was our response?
We stepped in and created a major new remote communities fund. We persistently
see that the other side tries to re-create history, but the reality is that we
were left a mess and now we are fixing that mess.
total rewriting of its performance on social housing. I just want to put this
on the record. The Leader of the Liberal Party is already getting agitated
again, and I just want to put it on the record that we cannot speak for one
minute before she starts interjecting. That is how she has been operating.
What we have seen from the Liberal
Party of Western Australia is a total rewriting of history. Let us be very
clear what it left us. It left us enclaves of housing that were derelict and
well beyond being usable. In fact, the Brownlie Towers was only one example of
a large number of developments and enclaves that were left to us. It was
reported at the time that 160 apartments were just sitting there empty. Our
government was left with that mess. What people have seen from our government —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : Our
government has been working through major renewal projects and making
investments in that ageing stock—it is. North Beach was just left there
for us to fix. The Stirling Towers were left, as was Court Place. There
is a legacy of complexes and buildings that members opposite left and that we
are now having to invest in. We are having to make significant investments to
bring ageing stock back into the system and also to drive major renewal
projects. Now we are seeing that work, and we are making that investment.
Of course, the Liberals also relied
on the Kevin Rudd stimulus. Colin Barnett and his team paraded around, but that significant funding boost actually came from
the federal government. What happened to us? Do people remember what
happened to us under the Liberal government? It totally cut funding to remote
communities in 2019. That side, the Liberal
Party that expresses such deep concern for housing, stopped funding of remote
communities in total from the federal government. What was our response?
We stepped in and created a major new remote communities fund. We persistently
see that the other side tries to re-create history, but the reality is that we
were left a mess and now we are fixing that mess.
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