PUBLIC HOUSING — WAITLIST — NORTH WEST
CENTRAL ELECTORATE
484. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to question on notice 766
asked on 14 June —
Ms S. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Wanneroo, do not interject while someone is asking a question.
Mr R.S. LOVE: I refer to
question on notice 766 asked on 14 June in the other place regarding social
housing stocks in the north west and the advice that the minister's
office cannot provide an answer until 13 September.
(1) Why is it
taking three months to provide the Parliament with information on how many
people are on the waitlist?
(2) How many houses are vacant in
the electorate of North West Central?
Mr J.N.
CAREY replied:
(1)–(2) I
am sorry; there are so many questions put to me from the other place. It could
have been because the information has been
asked for by a particular category that the agency would not normally
formulate. That is often the case. I want to say this on the record: as
usual, we are doing everything we can to invest in greater social housing across regional Western Australia. I note
commentary today again by the opposition, including by the Leader of the
Liberal Party, with claims that social housing is on hold. That is simply
false. It is absolutely false. In the last financial year, we added 600 homes
to the social housing system. How did that occur? That occurred because of
significant investment in social housing. We are also undertaking significant
refurbishment. I want to put this on the record, because Hon Steve Martin was
on radio today saying that we should refurbish social housing. We are. In fact,
we are investing $73.6 million to refurbish 923 properties, of which over 400
have been completed. Last year, we invested $93.9 million for spot purchasing homes.
We are constantly hearing a theme
from the opposition that says that investment is not being undertaken in social
housing. That is false. That is not true at all, and I would ask the opposition
to stop distorting figures to mislead the people of Western Australia.