❓ Mr Michel questions the Minister for Housing about funding for remote Indigenous housing, prompting a critical response regarding the previous government's handling of the issue, including funding cuts and water quality concerns.
AnsweredQoN 64Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REMOTE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES — HOUSING
64. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Housing:
Mr I.C. Blayney : I am glad to see him here!
The SPEAKER : I will be glad if you just sit back and
listen to what he has to say.
Mr K.J.J. MICHEL : I refer to the chronic underfunding
of essential services that was a particular characteristic of the previous
Liberal–National government. What is the current state of funding for
remote Indigenous housing?
64. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Housing:
Mr I.C. Blayney : I am glad to see him here!
The SPEAKER : I will be glad if you just sit back and
listen to what he has to say.
Mr K.J.J. MICHEL : I refer to the chronic underfunding
of essential services that was a particular characteristic of the previous
Liberal–National government. What is the current state of funding for
remote Indigenous housing?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Pilbara for the question and for
raising the issue of housing in his electorate on several occasions. I look
forward to being there on the ground in a couple of weeks to discuss the matter
in detail. For the benefit of members—particularly new members—who
are not aware of the situation in the remote communities, 15 per cent of Western
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in about
274 remote communities across the state. They represent about 11 400 people—first
nation Western Australians. For the further benefit of members, for some time
now, in partnership with the commonwealth, the Department of Housing has
provided municipal services to 165 of those communities. Historically, it has
been the preserve of the commonwealth to support first nation peoples—the
First Australians—but in a very shameful act by the previous government
yet another black hole was driven through Western Australia's future
budget when it gave away the commonwealth funding for a $90 million one-off
payment in 2015. It was an absolute disgrace. I should highlight for members
that the former government knew what was coming from the 2015 Auditor General's
report. The drinking water quality in some of the communities was surveyed and
it is beyond belief. It is important to record here in this chamber the sorts
of lives that some fellow Western Australians had to endure under the previous
government. In the period the communities were surveyed, the Auditor General's
report states —
� In the same period, four communities exceeded safe levels of
uranium in their water by up to double the level allowed for under the
Australian guideline.
� Fourteen communities recorded nitrates —
That is, nitrates in the water —
above the safe level for bottle-fed
babies under three months old in 2014.
It was an outrageous affront on Western Australians. I will
not quote further from the report how the —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : It is funny the member should mention
that. The member for Warren–Blackwood was one of seven Ministers for
Housing in a revolving door of housing ministers who were asleep at the wheel
when it came to looking after some of our most vulnerable communities.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : Nothing underscored the indifference
the Liberal–National government had to Aboriginal Australians than when
the member for Cottesloe, the then Premier, stood on the front steps of this
Parliament to say, ''Yes. Put yourself in my shoes''! Where were
the rest of the members opposite around the cabinet table? We have sat around
the cabinet table several times now. Who held the former Premier to account?
Which members of the opposition did? Did the Leader of the National Party? No! Did
the member for Nedlands, as the Minister for Housing at the time for three and
a half minutes, hold the Premier of the day to account? No! No members opposite
did! None of them gave an absolute continental about the requirements of the
First Australians and their ability to be called Western Australian.
Mr V.A. Catania : What are you doing?
Mr P.C. TINLEY : I will take the interjection of the
member for North West Central.
On Friday I was at a ministerial meeting with other housing
ministers to actually try to redress some of the mess the former government
left us with. Not only is there a $35 million hole in the forward estimates,
but there is also a $100 million hole in the commonwealth support for remote
and Indigenous housing. Members opposite all need to hang their heads in shame.
Next week I will meet with Minister Scullion, Minister for Indigenous Affairs,
in Canberra to plead the case. One of the first questions I will ask him will
be, ''How many conversations did you have with former ministers of the
previous government?'' I will report back to this house when we find out
exactly how much the former government cared about Western Australians—all
Western Australians!
The National Party might bang on about increasing the rent
for resources, but not once have I heard it get up here and fight the case for
Aboriginal Western Australians. They should be absolutely ashamed of
themselves!
Several members interjected.
raising the issue of housing in his electorate on several occasions. I look
forward to being there on the ground in a couple of weeks to discuss the matter
in detail. For the benefit of members—particularly new members—who
are not aware of the situation in the remote communities, 15 per cent of Western
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in about
274 remote communities across the state. They represent about 11 400 people—first
nation Western Australians. For the further benefit of members, for some time
now, in partnership with the commonwealth, the Department of Housing has
provided municipal services to 165 of those communities. Historically, it has
been the preserve of the commonwealth to support first nation peoples—the
First Australians—but in a very shameful act by the previous government
yet another black hole was driven through Western Australia's future
budget when it gave away the commonwealth funding for a $90 million one-off
payment in 2015. It was an absolute disgrace. I should highlight for members
that the former government knew what was coming from the 2015 Auditor General's
report. The drinking water quality in some of the communities was surveyed and
it is beyond belief. It is important to record here in this chamber the sorts
of lives that some fellow Western Australians had to endure under the previous
government. In the period the communities were surveyed, the Auditor General's
report states —
� In the same period, four communities exceeded safe levels of
uranium in their water by up to double the level allowed for under the
Australian guideline.
� Fourteen communities recorded nitrates —
That is, nitrates in the water —
above the safe level for bottle-fed
babies under three months old in 2014.
It was an outrageous affront on Western Australians. I will
not quote further from the report how the —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : It is funny the member should mention
that. The member for Warren–Blackwood was one of seven Ministers for
Housing in a revolving door of housing ministers who were asleep at the wheel
when it came to looking after some of our most vulnerable communities.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : Nothing underscored the indifference
the Liberal–National government had to Aboriginal Australians than when
the member for Cottesloe, the then Premier, stood on the front steps of this
Parliament to say, ''Yes. Put yourself in my shoes''! Where were
the rest of the members opposite around the cabinet table? We have sat around
the cabinet table several times now. Who held the former Premier to account?
Which members of the opposition did? Did the Leader of the National Party? No! Did
the member for Nedlands, as the Minister for Housing at the time for three and
a half minutes, hold the Premier of the day to account? No! No members opposite
did! None of them gave an absolute continental about the requirements of the
First Australians and their ability to be called Western Australian.
Mr V.A. Catania : What are you doing?
Mr P.C. TINLEY : I will take the interjection of the
member for North West Central.
On Friday I was at a ministerial meeting with other housing
ministers to actually try to redress some of the mess the former government
left us with. Not only is there a $35 million hole in the forward estimates,
but there is also a $100 million hole in the commonwealth support for remote
and Indigenous housing. Members opposite all need to hang their heads in shame.
Next week I will meet with Minister Scullion, Minister for Indigenous Affairs,
in Canberra to plead the case. One of the first questions I will ask him will
be, ''How many conversations did you have with former ministers of the
previous government?'' I will report back to this house when we find out
exactly how much the former government cared about Western Australians—all
Western Australians!
The National Party might bang on about increasing the rent
for resources, but not once have I heard it get up here and fight the case for
Aboriginal Western Australians. They should be absolutely ashamed of
themselves!
Several members interjected.
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