❓ Mr. Carey asks about the importance of funding for Tom Fisher House, a homeless shelter in his electorate, and how the government is addressing disadvantage. The Minister responds positively, highlighting the importance of diverse entry points for homeless services and the government's commitment to supporting vulnerable communities.
AnsweredQoN 596Legislative Assembly
Asked
1 November 2017
Member
Portfolio
Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence
QuestionView source ↗
TOM FISHER HOUSE
596. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for
Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the almost $4 million
service agreement awarded last week for Tom Fisher House within my electorate
that supports those most in need.
(1) Can the minister outline the
importance of this funding for those doing it tough?
(2) How is this government striving
to break the cycle of disadvantage?
596. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for
Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the almost $4 million
service agreement awarded last week for Tom Fisher House within my electorate
that supports those most in need.
(1) Can the minister outline the
importance of this funding for those doing it tough?
(2) How is this government striving
to break the cycle of disadvantage?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am very pleased to answer this question and I particularly acknowledge the work
of the member for Perth in looking at innovative ways that we can address some
of these difficult issues in our metropolitan area and indeed through our
state.
� When it comes to homeless services we need a variety
of entry points for people who are vulnerable and are doing it tough. I know
that many members in this house will receive either complaints or concerns
through their electorate offices of the number of people sleeping rough, who
are homeless and disadvantaged through our state. Homeless people are not just
sleeping rough; there are various forms of homelessness. People might be
sleeping in cars, or they might be couch surfing. They are in all sorts of
precarious situations. As I said, it is important that we have a variety of
entry points for people so that they can be kept safe and they can then link up
with services that are needed. I was very pleased to go with the member for
Perth to Tom Fisher House in his electorate. Tom Fisher House is an acute
homeless night shelter. It is there for people to get a safe place, a roof over
their heads for the night and it is cleared during the day. There are 12 beds
in Tom Fisher House, mostly for singles, but there are two rooms available for
couples. That is an important service run by St Vincent de Paul Society of WA,
which also runs Passages Resource Centres in Northbridge and Mandurah. That is
a similar entry point for young people at any stage, no matter their condition.
There are no questions asked; the door is open for them to come in through
Passages. I was very pleased to help facilitate the agreement of assistance for
Tom Fisher House. As the member said, it is for $4 million and what is
significant is that it is a five-year contract. We went to this election with a
supporting communities policy whereby we made a range of commitments to work in
a much more sophisticated way across government and also with the community
sector so that we can begin to work a lot more effectively for those in our
community who are vulnerable, including the homeless. I was very pleased to
enter into a five-year contract with St Vincent de Paul. It is now under the
leadership of Susan Rooney, a very capable CEO, as are many of our community
sector organisations.
One of the reasons that we have to be
innovative in the way that we spend our dollars in the community sector and in
working alongside the Western Australian Council of Social Service, its
membership and across government agencies is that the other side left our
finances in such a parlous state. Yesterday, there was a matter of public
interest debate over the opposition's ludicrous proposition that as a government
we had targeted pensioners. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Mr
J.E. McGrath interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for South Perth!
Ms
S.F. McGURK : We are dealing with very difficult and complex issues that
face vulnerable families and individuals, including the homeless and families
that are impacted by child protection, and I am very pleased to work with
organisations such as St Vincent de Paul to do that.
am very pleased to answer this question and I particularly acknowledge the work
of the member for Perth in looking at innovative ways that we can address some
of these difficult issues in our metropolitan area and indeed through our
state.
� When it comes to homeless services we need a variety
of entry points for people who are vulnerable and are doing it tough. I know
that many members in this house will receive either complaints or concerns
through their electorate offices of the number of people sleeping rough, who
are homeless and disadvantaged through our state. Homeless people are not just
sleeping rough; there are various forms of homelessness. People might be
sleeping in cars, or they might be couch surfing. They are in all sorts of
precarious situations. As I said, it is important that we have a variety of
entry points for people so that they can be kept safe and they can then link up
with services that are needed. I was very pleased to go with the member for
Perth to Tom Fisher House in his electorate. Tom Fisher House is an acute
homeless night shelter. It is there for people to get a safe place, a roof over
their heads for the night and it is cleared during the day. There are 12 beds
in Tom Fisher House, mostly for singles, but there are two rooms available for
couples. That is an important service run by St Vincent de Paul Society of WA,
which also runs Passages Resource Centres in Northbridge and Mandurah. That is
a similar entry point for young people at any stage, no matter their condition.
There are no questions asked; the door is open for them to come in through
Passages. I was very pleased to help facilitate the agreement of assistance for
Tom Fisher House. As the member said, it is for $4 million and what is
significant is that it is a five-year contract. We went to this election with a
supporting communities policy whereby we made a range of commitments to work in
a much more sophisticated way across government and also with the community
sector so that we can begin to work a lot more effectively for those in our
community who are vulnerable, including the homeless. I was very pleased to
enter into a five-year contract with St Vincent de Paul. It is now under the
leadership of Susan Rooney, a very capable CEO, as are many of our community
sector organisations.
One of the reasons that we have to be
innovative in the way that we spend our dollars in the community sector and in
working alongside the Western Australian Council of Social Service, its
membership and across government agencies is that the other side left our
finances in such a parlous state. Yesterday, there was a matter of public
interest debate over the opposition's ludicrous proposition that as a government
we had targeted pensioners. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Mr
J.E. McGrath interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for South Perth!
Ms
S.F. McGURK : We are dealing with very difficult and complex issues that
face vulnerable families and individuals, including the homeless and families
that are impacted by child protection, and I am very pleased to work with
organisations such as St Vincent de Paul to do that.
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