❓ The Minister for Homelessness responds to a question about the government's investment in tackling homelessness, highlighting initiatives and criticising the opposition's approach.
AnsweredQoN 32Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOMELESSNESS
32. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Homelessness:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented investment in tackling homelessness, which
includes delivering evidence-based solutions to this complex issue.
(1) Will the
minister update the house on how this government's investment in
tackling homelessness is providing long-term positive outcomes for homeless
people in Western Australia, and outline how these solutions are crucial in
getting people into a stable home?
(2) Will the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who opposes this
government's commitment to address homelessness?
32. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Homelessness:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented investment in tackling homelessness, which
includes delivering evidence-based solutions to this complex issue.
(1) Will the
minister update the house on how this government's investment in
tackling homelessness is providing long-term positive outcomes for homeless
people in Western Australia, and outline how these solutions are crucial in
getting people into a stable home?
(2) Will the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who opposes this
government's commitment to address homelessness?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for his question. We all know that homelessness is a very
complex issue and that many people who are experiencing homelessness have deep
social, health and economic issues. They can have trauma, family and domestic
violence, mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependence and other issues in
their lives. I am deeply proud to be part of the McGowan government, which has
driven an evidence-based 10-year strategy that has been co-designed with the
homelessness sector and is about tackling those underlying issues. We are
backing it in with massive investment. Through the Department of Communities,
the government is investing more than $150 million in a range of homelessness
and support services. There is ongoing expenditure of $20 million from the
Mental Health Commission in homelessness.
The health department is also providing support at Royal Perth Hospital and a medical
respite centre. The government is investing $70 million in two Common Ground
facilities—one in East Perth and one in Mandurah—under the Housing First Homelessness Initiative,
which is about ending rough sleeping . I note that the Productivity
Commission's recent review, the Report on government services 2022 , found that WA is the most successful state at getting people off the street
permanently, and that should always be our aim.
The latest initiative, which has
received some media attention, is Boorloo Bidee Mia, which is unique,
innovative and new. These are two Aboriginal-controlled organisations that are
providing culturally appropriate
accommodation for rough sleepers in our city. It is not an easy job, and I want
to give a shout-out to Daniel
Morrison and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation for their work. They are
providing accommodation and support to a cohort, a group of people, with
deep trauma.
What we have seen from the
opposition is nothing but shameful attacks, misleading the public and the community. Hon Steve Martin, like a meerkat at
Perth Zoo, pops his head up from his burrow, throws a lot of cheap
political attacks for the worst headlines, then disappears. He has been
shameful in his approach to this issue in attacking this organisation. He says,
''Just throw the doors open.'' He is perplexed about why it is
not just a drop-in centre. In fact, he said on the record that he had no idea
why the minister could not get more people into the building. Well, I will
explain that for Hon Steve ''Missing in Action'' Martin. It is
very simple. These are, as I have said, people with deep trauma and complex
issues. This is a new model. If we want it
to work, it has to be a gradual process, as the model develops. There are now
47 rough sleepers in that
accommodation, which is extraordinary, given their complexities. I say to Hon
Steve Martin : perhaps the reason you have no idea why we cannot get more
people in the building is that you have never been there. Surely, if you are
doing your job, doing your work and you want to understand the issues, you
might actually show basic respect and courtesy to the organisations by actually
going down there and meeting them and
talking to them about the issues. He had to gall to say that he wished the new
minister all the best, and that this was too important to play politics
with. That is all he has done! This is symptomatic of the opposition. It does
not do the work.
I have gone to Mission Australia
for its Christmas lunch for the last five years to recognise volunteers and a service
for our most vulnerable people. There are 15 members of the opposition, and not
one of them bothered to turn up. In fact,
over those five years I have seen one, and that was before the state election .
That says something about their lack of humanity, their lack of care and
actual, genuine engagement with the homelessness sector. There is a real
difference between our approach and the opposition's approach. The
opposition's approach is glib political attack; it is missing in
action, and it is not doing the work and engaging the homelessness sector on
these complex issues.
I thank the member for his question. We all know that homelessness is a very
complex issue and that many people who are experiencing homelessness have deep
social, health and economic issues. They can have trauma, family and domestic
violence, mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependence and other issues in
their lives. I am deeply proud to be part of the McGowan government, which has
driven an evidence-based 10-year strategy that has been co-designed with the
homelessness sector and is about tackling those underlying issues. We are
backing it in with massive investment. Through the Department of Communities,
the government is investing more than $150 million in a range of homelessness
and support services. There is ongoing expenditure of $20 million from the
Mental Health Commission in homelessness.
The health department is also providing support at Royal Perth Hospital and a medical
respite centre. The government is investing $70 million in two Common Ground
facilities—one in East Perth and one in Mandurah—under the Housing First Homelessness Initiative,
which is about ending rough sleeping . I note that the Productivity
Commission's recent review, the Report on government services 2022 , found that WA is the most successful state at getting people off the street
permanently, and that should always be our aim.
The latest initiative, which has
received some media attention, is Boorloo Bidee Mia, which is unique,
innovative and new. These are two Aboriginal-controlled organisations that are
providing culturally appropriate
accommodation for rough sleepers in our city. It is not an easy job, and I want
to give a shout-out to Daniel
Morrison and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation for their work. They are
providing accommodation and support to a cohort, a group of people, with
deep trauma.
What we have seen from the
opposition is nothing but shameful attacks, misleading the public and the community. Hon Steve Martin, like a meerkat at
Perth Zoo, pops his head up from his burrow, throws a lot of cheap
political attacks for the worst headlines, then disappears. He has been
shameful in his approach to this issue in attacking this organisation. He says,
''Just throw the doors open.'' He is perplexed about why it is
not just a drop-in centre. In fact, he said on the record that he had no idea
why the minister could not get more people into the building. Well, I will
explain that for Hon Steve ''Missing in Action'' Martin. It is
very simple. These are, as I have said, people with deep trauma and complex
issues. This is a new model. If we want it
to work, it has to be a gradual process, as the model develops. There are now
47 rough sleepers in that
accommodation, which is extraordinary, given their complexities. I say to Hon
Steve Martin : perhaps the reason you have no idea why we cannot get more
people in the building is that you have never been there. Surely, if you are
doing your job, doing your work and you want to understand the issues, you
might actually show basic respect and courtesy to the organisations by actually
going down there and meeting them and
talking to them about the issues. He had to gall to say that he wished the new
minister all the best, and that this was too important to play politics
with. That is all he has done! This is symptomatic of the opposition. It does
not do the work.
I have gone to Mission Australia
for its Christmas lunch for the last five years to recognise volunteers and a service
for our most vulnerable people. There are 15 members of the opposition, and not
one of them bothered to turn up. In fact,
over those five years I have seen one, and that was before the state election .
That says something about their lack of humanity, their lack of care and
actual, genuine engagement with the homelessness sector. There is a real
difference between our approach and the opposition's approach. The
opposition's approach is glib political attack; it is missing in
action, and it is not doing the work and engaging the homelessness sector on
these complex issues.
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