❓ Minister responds to question on housing supply initiatives, highlighting positive rental market trends and criticising the opposition's lack of policy and leadership, particularly regarding a candidate's controversial statements.
AnsweredQoN 647Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — SUPPLY
647. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
implementation of new initiatives to help alleviate pressures on housing supply. Can the minister advise the house what
impact these policies and measures are having on the housing market , and
advise the house whether he is aware of any other policy proposals to ensure
that Western Australians have access to safe and secure housing?
647. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
implementation of new initiatives to help alleviate pressures on housing supply. Can the minister advise the house what
impact these policies and measures are having on the housing market , and
advise the house whether he is aware of any other policy proposals to ensure
that Western Australians have access to safe and secure housing?
AnswerView source ↗
I want to thank the member for her
commitment to and advocacy for boosting housing supply in Western Australia. As
we know, I have been on the record plenty of times saying that we are using
every measure and every lever and doing everything we can to boost housing
supply in Western Australia. I welcomed the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia's
announcement yesterday that our efforts are now being reflected in the rental
market. The Western Australian rental vacancy rate has reached 1.4 per cent, up
from 0.7 per cent in July. The rate is its highest since June 2022. We welcome
that. It demonstrates that all the changes we are doing are having an effect.
For example, the strata incentive has added
296 properties to the long-term rental market, with an additional 411 completed and submitted, and the vacant property incentive, which to date has had 191 applications
completed, with 71 grants part paid, meaning
that 71 grants are entering the rental market. One additional residence in a regional
rental market means something. Through our social housing spend and
these particular initiatives, we are getting housing back into the market to
provide relief.
I note the opposition has criticised
both those initiatives. When Hon Steve Martin first became the housing
spokesperson, he insisted that it is not appropriate for the opposition to be
announcing policy positions more than a year out from an election. On my
estimate, it is around six months until the election—is it still not
appropriate to put out policies? At what
time will opposition members say, ''We're going to show respect
to Western Australians and voters by putting policy forward''?
I have to say that this is a failure of leadership by the
Leader of the Liberal Party. It is not just in this area that we are seeing a failure
of leadership. There is a topic that is very close to my heart—that is
personal—on which we are seeing the Leader of the Liberals failing in
leadership. I refer to the Liberal candidate Dr Brough who made comments—this
is from the ABC—at a council meeting in February —
Point of Order
Dr D.J. HONEY : This tangent
that the minister is going on has nothing whatsoever to do with the question he
was asked.
Several members interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Members!
Thank you. Member for Cottesloe, I will not uphold that point of order. The
minister can carry on with his response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr J.N. CAREY : I am talking
about leadership by the Leader of the Liberal Party.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I understand
this is embarrassing for the member's party but let me speak without
his interjections.
The article states —
� Dr Brough made comments at a council
meeting in February, falsely claiming the community should be aware
paedophiles, or what he dubbed ''minor-attracted persons'' were
part of the ''+'' in LGBTQIA+.
I am an openly gay male politician who
belongs to that community. What he is inferring there is that members of the
gay community are acquainted with paedophilia—that is what he is doing.
Do members know what the Leader of the
Liberals said at the time? She said that his comments were ''bizarre''
and ''inappropriate'' and out of line with what the WA
community expects. Interestingly, the Leader of the Liberals was pressed about
it today numerous times, and again would not take a decisive decision on this
issue.
One of her candidates is saying the
worst of the worst, peddling the worst stereotypes about gay and lesbian
people. I want to be on the record that gay and lesbian people have a right to
be in this society and the community without that kind of hate peddled. It is a
failure of leadership by the WA Liberal leader that she stands by; she says it
is bizarre but there are no further consequences. That Liberal candidate said
something so distressing and so hateful and so wrong—what other things
will he say? What other hate will he pedal in this community? The Leader of the
Liberal Party is failing in her basic moral compass by not decisively calling
that out and drawing a line in the sand and saying, ''This is never
acceptable in any consequence or in any situation.'' Our government is
proud and we will stand and be an inclusive community and society for all Western
Australians!
Government members : Hear,
hear!
commitment to and advocacy for boosting housing supply in Western Australia. As
we know, I have been on the record plenty of times saying that we are using
every measure and every lever and doing everything we can to boost housing
supply in Western Australia. I welcomed the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia's
announcement yesterday that our efforts are now being reflected in the rental
market. The Western Australian rental vacancy rate has reached 1.4 per cent, up
from 0.7 per cent in July. The rate is its highest since June 2022. We welcome
that. It demonstrates that all the changes we are doing are having an effect.
For example, the strata incentive has added
296 properties to the long-term rental market, with an additional 411 completed and submitted, and the vacant property incentive, which to date has had 191 applications
completed, with 71 grants part paid, meaning
that 71 grants are entering the rental market. One additional residence in a regional
rental market means something. Through our social housing spend and
these particular initiatives, we are getting housing back into the market to
provide relief.
I note the opposition has criticised
both those initiatives. When Hon Steve Martin first became the housing
spokesperson, he insisted that it is not appropriate for the opposition to be
announcing policy positions more than a year out from an election. On my
estimate, it is around six months until the election—is it still not
appropriate to put out policies? At what
time will opposition members say, ''We're going to show respect
to Western Australians and voters by putting policy forward''?
I have to say that this is a failure of leadership by the
Leader of the Liberal Party. It is not just in this area that we are seeing a failure
of leadership. There is a topic that is very close to my heart—that is
personal—on which we are seeing the Leader of the Liberals failing in
leadership. I refer to the Liberal candidate Dr Brough who made comments—this
is from the ABC—at a council meeting in February —
Point of Order
Dr D.J. HONEY : This tangent
that the minister is going on has nothing whatsoever to do with the question he
was asked.
Several members interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Members!
Thank you. Member for Cottesloe, I will not uphold that point of order. The
minister can carry on with his response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr J.N. CAREY : I am talking
about leadership by the Leader of the Liberal Party.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I understand
this is embarrassing for the member's party but let me speak without
his interjections.
The article states —
� Dr Brough made comments at a council
meeting in February, falsely claiming the community should be aware
paedophiles, or what he dubbed ''minor-attracted persons'' were
part of the ''+'' in LGBTQIA+.
I am an openly gay male politician who
belongs to that community. What he is inferring there is that members of the
gay community are acquainted with paedophilia—that is what he is doing.
Do members know what the Leader of the
Liberals said at the time? She said that his comments were ''bizarre''
and ''inappropriate'' and out of line with what the WA
community expects. Interestingly, the Leader of the Liberals was pressed about
it today numerous times, and again would not take a decisive decision on this
issue.
One of her candidates is saying the
worst of the worst, peddling the worst stereotypes about gay and lesbian
people. I want to be on the record that gay and lesbian people have a right to
be in this society and the community without that kind of hate peddled. It is a
failure of leadership by the WA Liberal leader that she stands by; she says it
is bizarre but there are no further consequences. That Liberal candidate said
something so distressing and so hateful and so wrong—what other things
will he say? What other hate will he pedal in this community? The Leader of the
Liberal Party is failing in her basic moral compass by not decisively calling
that out and drawing a line in the sand and saying, ''This is never
acceptable in any consequence or in any situation.'' Our government is
proud and we will stand and be an inclusive community and society for all Western
Australians!
Government members : Hear,
hear!
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