PUBLIC HOUSING —
HOMELESSNESS
383. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Housing:
I have a supplementary question.
Given this issue has now reached crisis proportions, has the government asked
the Treasurer and Premier for a rescue package to deliver the 3 500 new
properties required to deal with this crisis and the services that are needed
to support people back into safe and secure housing?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Minister for
Environment, you should not be interjecting whilst a question is being asked.
Minister for Water, you should not be interjecting while the Speaker is
speaking.
Mr J.N.
CAREY replied:
I find it fascinating how the
Liberals and Nationals WA rewrite history on this matter. First of all, there
should be a Liberal Facebook page or website
that says ''Liberals who claim stuff that Labor's done''.
I love the way that they claim housing increases that were practically
funded by the huge social investment made by the Labor Kevin Rudd government.
It is a bit like the Libs when they were making claims about hard borders. Do
members remember before the election when
they were claiming they were all in favour of hard borders? Never heard from
them; never saw from them. Suddenly, they were claiming the huge social
housing gains that were delivered as a result of a Kevin Rudd budget!
Also,
let us talk about waiting lists. Let us talk about the Liberal–National
government's record on waiting lists. The member for Cottesloe
calls a 17 000-person waiting list a crisis. Here is a magic number—24 136.
Can the member tell me why that number is important?
Dr D.J. Honey: What are you
doing?
Mr J.N. CAREY: Member, can
you tell me why that number is important?
Dr D.J. Honey: What are you
doing as minister?
Mr J.N. CAREY: Can you tell
me why this number is important? It is because that is your record in 2010. The
peak—that is your record. If you are
claiming that we are facing a crisis now, what was it when 24 000 people were
on the waiting list?
Dr D.J. Honey: What are you doing
now?
Mr J.N. CAREY: The answer is
silence—absolute silence. You are rewriting history when the facts
clearly show that the greatest housing waiting list was under a Liberal
coalition government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: We will just wait
for order again.