❓ Mr Tallentire questions the Minister for Housing on the impact of federal funding withdrawal and Liberal Party instability on remote Aboriginal communities' housing. The Minister expresses frustration with the federal government's lack of communication and commitment.
AnsweredQoN 598Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REMOTE ABORIGINAL
COMMUNITIES — HOUSING
598. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the remote communities
across Western Australia that remain in limbo more than a month after the
federal government walked away from providing vital funding to these vulnerable
Western Australians. Can the minister update the house on how the current
crisis within the Liberal Party has thrown those communities into further
uncertainty and whether this crisis has affected this government's
resolve in fighting for these communities?
COMMUNITIES — HOUSING
598. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the remote communities
across Western Australia that remain in limbo more than a month after the
federal government walked away from providing vital funding to these vulnerable
Western Australians. Can the minister update the house on how the current
crisis within the Liberal Party has thrown those communities into further
uncertainty and whether this crisis has affected this government's
resolve in fighting for these communities?
AnswerView source ↗
Before I answer the question, I acknowledge
Mattie Turnbull and planning students from Curtin University in the gallery,
and, on behalf of the member for Bassendean, members of the East Beechboro
Primary School parents and citizens association. Welcome to the chamber.
Similar to the many ministers around
the country in my particular role, I am today in some form of flux or state of
confusion as to where our bilateral arrangements are sitting with the
commonwealth and who I am to deal with. We are ringing—there is no
answer. We are being referred to different offices—to the wrong office.
We do not know who we need to speak to to progress the agenda of Western Australia
and ensure that we are looking after all Western Australians, and no more so
than those in remote communities. Along with the Treasurer and the Premier, I have
been on my feet in this place many times to talk about the 165 communities
right across the state, one-third of the continent of Australia, from here to
the South Australian border, that are the residences of nearly 11 000 first
nation Western Australians. They are in limbo today now more than ever because
of the indolence of the federal government and its lack of care for what we see
as the responsibility of all Australians, not least of which the federal
government, which decided as of June this year to walk away from a 50-year
relationship with the remote and Indigenous communities of Western Australia.
The issue of federal support for
housing was a challenging subject for the previous Barnett government and it is
no less a challenge for the McGowan government. However, we will not roll over
and have our tummies tickled with a one-off payment of 30 silver coins just to
hand over a termination payment for the continued support of those, as was done
by the previous government. Since I received the portfolio and the challenge, I
have been calling for the opposition to collectively take up the fight with
Canberra, and in the spirit of bipartisanship I acknowledge the member for
Warren–Blackwood for his recent positive commentary in support of this.
Well done. One member of the opposition has decided to take up the fight for
all Western Australians and reclaim some of the ground that they have lost,
potentially as being a member of the party for the regions. I look forward to
the member for Warren–Blackwood's continued and increasing
volume of support. I look forward to that in writing, when he writes to the new
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, whoever that may be. I reckon a call from the
member for Warren–Blackwood to Canberra will be answered given that his
national colleagues are sitting alongside their Liberal counterparts in the
coalition looking rather bemused and wondering what is going to happen and how
it is going to land. The Premier is absolutely resolute—he will not
entertain any compromised deal on this issue. There is a $400 million hole in
the forward estimates to support first nation Western Australians—a
$400 million hole. The Prime Minister—well, one of the Prime Ministers!—wrapped
himself around Closing the Gap Refresh and embodied it as his own personal
mission to achieve those outcomes. Where are we on remotes? We are very close
to a GST solution, but it has now gone; it has vaporised. We cannot hope to
meet the requirements of constructing 1 300 new dwellings over the next 10
years to attend to population growth and overcrowding if the state Parliament is
dysfunctional on this issue. I look to the Leader of the Opposition for
leadership, something that seems to be lacking in Canberra, to take up the
fight for all Western Australians.
In conclusion, I take this
opportunity to remind those opposite that their very party was founded on the
ideals—it is not often that I reference conservatives—of the
arch conservative Menzies, who, in his 1942 speech, identified the forgotten
people. There are 11 000 forgotten people sitting out there in the desert
looking for access to their cultural land and their birthright, and they are
being denied by the opposition's paternalism. Get on the job.
Mattie Turnbull and planning students from Curtin University in the gallery,
and, on behalf of the member for Bassendean, members of the East Beechboro
Primary School parents and citizens association. Welcome to the chamber.
Similar to the many ministers around
the country in my particular role, I am today in some form of flux or state of
confusion as to where our bilateral arrangements are sitting with the
commonwealth and who I am to deal with. We are ringing—there is no
answer. We are being referred to different offices—to the wrong office.
We do not know who we need to speak to to progress the agenda of Western Australia
and ensure that we are looking after all Western Australians, and no more so
than those in remote communities. Along with the Treasurer and the Premier, I have
been on my feet in this place many times to talk about the 165 communities
right across the state, one-third of the continent of Australia, from here to
the South Australian border, that are the residences of nearly 11 000 first
nation Western Australians. They are in limbo today now more than ever because
of the indolence of the federal government and its lack of care for what we see
as the responsibility of all Australians, not least of which the federal
government, which decided as of June this year to walk away from a 50-year
relationship with the remote and Indigenous communities of Western Australia.
The issue of federal support for
housing was a challenging subject for the previous Barnett government and it is
no less a challenge for the McGowan government. However, we will not roll over
and have our tummies tickled with a one-off payment of 30 silver coins just to
hand over a termination payment for the continued support of those, as was done
by the previous government. Since I received the portfolio and the challenge, I
have been calling for the opposition to collectively take up the fight with
Canberra, and in the spirit of bipartisanship I acknowledge the member for
Warren–Blackwood for his recent positive commentary in support of this.
Well done. One member of the opposition has decided to take up the fight for
all Western Australians and reclaim some of the ground that they have lost,
potentially as being a member of the party for the regions. I look forward to
the member for Warren–Blackwood's continued and increasing
volume of support. I look forward to that in writing, when he writes to the new
Minister for Indigenous Affairs, whoever that may be. I reckon a call from the
member for Warren–Blackwood to Canberra will be answered given that his
national colleagues are sitting alongside their Liberal counterparts in the
coalition looking rather bemused and wondering what is going to happen and how
it is going to land. The Premier is absolutely resolute—he will not
entertain any compromised deal on this issue. There is a $400 million hole in
the forward estimates to support first nation Western Australians—a
$400 million hole. The Prime Minister—well, one of the Prime Ministers!—wrapped
himself around Closing the Gap Refresh and embodied it as his own personal
mission to achieve those outcomes. Where are we on remotes? We are very close
to a GST solution, but it has now gone; it has vaporised. We cannot hope to
meet the requirements of constructing 1 300 new dwellings over the next 10
years to attend to population growth and overcrowding if the state Parliament is
dysfunctional on this issue. I look to the Leader of the Opposition for
leadership, something that seems to be lacking in Canberra, to take up the
fight for all Western Australians.
In conclusion, I take this
opportunity to remind those opposite that their very party was founded on the
ideals—it is not often that I reference conservatives—of the
arch conservative Menzies, who, in his 1942 speech, identified the forgotten
people. There are 11 000 forgotten people sitting out there in the desert
looking for access to their cultural land and their birthright, and they are
being denied by the opposition's paternalism. Get on the job.
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