❓ Mr. Miles asks for an update on the impact of the revised three-strikes policy for public housing tenants. The Minister responds with data on calls, strikes, and evictions, highlighting policy changes and public support.
AnsweredQoN 156Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC HOUSING —
TENANT BEHAVIOUR — THREE-STRIKES POLICY
156. Mr P.T. MILES to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the impact
of the poor behaviour of a minority of Department of Housing tenants in our
community. Can the minister please provide an update on the impact of the
government's revised three-strikes policy?
TENANT BEHAVIOUR — THREE-STRIKES POLICY
156. Mr P.T. MILES to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the impact
of the poor behaviour of a minority of Department of Housing tenants in our
community. Can the minister please provide an update on the impact of the
government's revised three-strikes policy?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member.
It is a very important issue for members on this side of the house. Our
antisocial behaviour policy was supported with varying degrees of enthusiasm by
members opposite. Members may recall that we introduced a three-strikes policy
shortly after coming into government. Last year in March or April—it
may have been a little earlier—there was an issue with the explosion of
a drug lab at a house. A young lady by the name of Stacee Parkinson, whose
father Dave Parkinson is a former superintendent of WA Police, lived nearby.
Following my investigations of that particular incident and all the complaints
made about it, it was obvious to me that the three-strikes policy was not
working with the intent we had hoped. We toughened it up. We toughened up the
definitions under which people get strikes. We have put in place a central
reporting line so that people can more effectively report their complaints. We
have put in place a central compliance unit—a group of people who
operate out of the Department of Housing's central facilities—to
help enforce —
Ms M.M. Quirk : Has Transfield fixed that house yet?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Did the member for Girrawheen go out there?
Did she go out and see how distraught that young girl with a disability was on
that day? The member for Girrawheen would not know what she is talking about;
it was a very, very stressful time for that young lady. The one undertaking I
gave her was that those residents would never go back into a house and
terrorise her again. That is typical of the response of some members opposite
to this policy.
I want to let members
know what has happened since that time. From May last year until now, the
central antisocial behaviour hotline has received 10 664 calls. That is an
average of 1 060 calls a month through to that line about antisocial behaviour.
Those calls are from people who in the past probably would not have been able
to contact the Department of Housing to report antisocial behaviour. The other
thing that has happened is that there has been a significant increase in the
number of strikes issued, and, unfortunately, there has also been an increase
in the number of evictions. In my view, this policy will be perfect when there
are no evictions, because it will mean that people have learnt that they have
to pull their heads in and behave in a way in public housing that is respectful
and responsible to their neighbours. That is all we ask of them. Just to give
an example, in the months up to May last year—I will call it ''three
strikes version 1''—on average there were 60 strikes issued and
19.4 evictions every month. Not every eviction is because of antisocial
behaviour; there are a range of other reasons, such as non-payment of rent and
the like. In the past 10 months under version 2, the number of strikes has
doubled to 124 strikes per month and the number of evictions has increased to
28 evictions per month. What is happening is that people who behave in a way
that threatens or disrupts the lives of their neighbours are, and will continue
to be, evicted. I want to read into Hansard an email I received. I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on the 7.30 report by a reporter who obviously
thought our policy was flawed. It led to a veritable flood of emails to my
office and to me personally in support of that policy. This email states —
Dear Mr Buswell —
That is me —
An opposition member: You're not often dear, are you?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No—and not often Mr Buswell! I get
some very colourful emails. I thought I had better pick one out very carefully.
The email continues —
I would like to say that I
completely support your stand on the three strikes policy in relation to Public
Housing. Our Street has had serious problems in the past because of the
antisocial behaviour caused by the tenants of public housing. The problem has
been so serious that a number of people have have had to sell their own private
homes and move on because of this anti social behaviour. Since introducing the
three strikes policy, the situation has greatly improved. We would never make a
vexatious claim against anyone, but strongly believe that public housing
tenants have a responsibility —
Mr P. Papalia : I wrote to you on 23 February with regard
to the Warnbro —
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, if you want to ask a question, you have that
opportunity. I formally call you to order for the first time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I almost lost my place, Mr Speaker. The
email states —
We would never make a vexatious claim
against anyone, but strongly believe that public housing tenants have a
responsibility to live in harmony with their neighbours and not destroy their
amenity.
That person captures in that statement the full intent of this policy.
I hope we get to a point where there are no evictions. We are some way off
that. The other feedback that I take a lot of confidence from is that I receive
from Department of Housing officers, who say to me that this policy is a great
tool for them to help enforce better standards of behaviour by our tenants. I
point out to people when I talk about disruptive behaviour that when we
recently brought through this Parliament changes to residential tenancies
legislation to perhaps provide a better framework for the courts to evict our
tenants who behave inappropriately, the only ones who opposed elements of that
was the Labor Party. The only people who did not help stand up for the
communities of Western Australia was the Labor Party.
Dr A.D. Buti : Rubbish.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is not rubbish; that is a fact. The
Labor Party did not support —
Several members
interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Let us go back and read the Hansard . We are heavily committed to
this policy. I think that the data I have shared with the house clearly shows
that it is having an impact. We will continue to demand better standards of
behaviour in the community from people who live in public housing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is coming from the member for Pilbara,
who in 2001 was a minister of the Crown for a very short period. He promised to
introduce in this place an affordable housing strategy. Guess what happened
when we came into power in 2008? No affordable housing strategy had ever been
delivered by the Labor Party or WA Labor in this state.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : During the course of the minister's
answer he referred to and quoted from a piece of official correspondence. I
call upon him to table that document.
The SPEAKER : I ask the Minister for Housing to provide
that correspondence to me. I give the call to the Deputy Leader of the
Opposition.
It is a very important issue for members on this side of the house. Our
antisocial behaviour policy was supported with varying degrees of enthusiasm by
members opposite. Members may recall that we introduced a three-strikes policy
shortly after coming into government. Last year in March or April—it
may have been a little earlier—there was an issue with the explosion of
a drug lab at a house. A young lady by the name of Stacee Parkinson, whose
father Dave Parkinson is a former superintendent of WA Police, lived nearby.
Following my investigations of that particular incident and all the complaints
made about it, it was obvious to me that the three-strikes policy was not
working with the intent we had hoped. We toughened it up. We toughened up the
definitions under which people get strikes. We have put in place a central
reporting line so that people can more effectively report their complaints. We
have put in place a central compliance unit—a group of people who
operate out of the Department of Housing's central facilities—to
help enforce —
Ms M.M. Quirk : Has Transfield fixed that house yet?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Did the member for Girrawheen go out there?
Did she go out and see how distraught that young girl with a disability was on
that day? The member for Girrawheen would not know what she is talking about;
it was a very, very stressful time for that young lady. The one undertaking I
gave her was that those residents would never go back into a house and
terrorise her again. That is typical of the response of some members opposite
to this policy.
I want to let members
know what has happened since that time. From May last year until now, the
central antisocial behaviour hotline has received 10 664 calls. That is an
average of 1 060 calls a month through to that line about antisocial behaviour.
Those calls are from people who in the past probably would not have been able
to contact the Department of Housing to report antisocial behaviour. The other
thing that has happened is that there has been a significant increase in the
number of strikes issued, and, unfortunately, there has also been an increase
in the number of evictions. In my view, this policy will be perfect when there
are no evictions, because it will mean that people have learnt that they have
to pull their heads in and behave in a way in public housing that is respectful
and responsible to their neighbours. That is all we ask of them. Just to give
an example, in the months up to May last year—I will call it ''three
strikes version 1''—on average there were 60 strikes issued and
19.4 evictions every month. Not every eviction is because of antisocial
behaviour; there are a range of other reasons, such as non-payment of rent and
the like. In the past 10 months under version 2, the number of strikes has
doubled to 124 strikes per month and the number of evictions has increased to
28 evictions per month. What is happening is that people who behave in a way
that threatens or disrupts the lives of their neighbours are, and will continue
to be, evicted. I want to read into Hansard an email I received. I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on the 7.30 report by a reporter who obviously
thought our policy was flawed. It led to a veritable flood of emails to my
office and to me personally in support of that policy. This email states —
Dear Mr Buswell —
That is me —
An opposition member: You're not often dear, are you?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No—and not often Mr Buswell! I get
some very colourful emails. I thought I had better pick one out very carefully.
The email continues —
I would like to say that I
completely support your stand on the three strikes policy in relation to Public
Housing. Our Street has had serious problems in the past because of the
antisocial behaviour caused by the tenants of public housing. The problem has
been so serious that a number of people have have had to sell their own private
homes and move on because of this anti social behaviour. Since introducing the
three strikes policy, the situation has greatly improved. We would never make a
vexatious claim against anyone, but strongly believe that public housing
tenants have a responsibility —
Mr P. Papalia : I wrote to you on 23 February with regard
to the Warnbro —
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, if you want to ask a question, you have that
opportunity. I formally call you to order for the first time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I almost lost my place, Mr Speaker. The
email states —
We would never make a vexatious claim
against anyone, but strongly believe that public housing tenants have a
responsibility to live in harmony with their neighbours and not destroy their
amenity.
That person captures in that statement the full intent of this policy.
I hope we get to a point where there are no evictions. We are some way off
that. The other feedback that I take a lot of confidence from is that I receive
from Department of Housing officers, who say to me that this policy is a great
tool for them to help enforce better standards of behaviour by our tenants. I
point out to people when I talk about disruptive behaviour that when we
recently brought through this Parliament changes to residential tenancies
legislation to perhaps provide a better framework for the courts to evict our
tenants who behave inappropriately, the only ones who opposed elements of that
was the Labor Party. The only people who did not help stand up for the
communities of Western Australia was the Labor Party.
Dr A.D. Buti : Rubbish.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is not rubbish; that is a fact. The
Labor Party did not support —
Several members
interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Let us go back and read the Hansard . We are heavily committed to
this policy. I think that the data I have shared with the house clearly shows
that it is having an impact. We will continue to demand better standards of
behaviour in the community from people who live in public housing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is coming from the member for Pilbara,
who in 2001 was a minister of the Crown for a very short period. He promised to
introduce in this place an affordable housing strategy. Guess what happened
when we came into power in 2008? No affordable housing strategy had ever been
delivered by the Labor Party or WA Labor in this state.
Tabling of Paper
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : During the course of the minister's
answer he referred to and quoted from a piece of official correspondence. I
call upon him to table that document.
The SPEAKER : I ask the Minister for Housing to provide
that correspondence to me. I give the call to the Deputy Leader of the
Opposition.
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