Mr GILES - 2009-11-26
At the last sittings of parliament, you tabled a document outlining waiting times for public housing in Alice Springs. The figures you tabled were: one-bedroom houses, a wait of 35 months, that is nearly three years; two-bedroom houses, a wait of 31 months, also nearly three years; three-bedroom houses, nearly four years; four-bedroom houses, nearly five years, or over five years. Despite these horrendously long public housing waiting lists, we find that, right across Alice Springs, there are public housing properties lying vacant for months and months, if not years on end. Why do you continue to neglect the people of Alice Springs by not addressing the public housing crisis?
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 4/5 Ross Park Primary School students, with their teachers Mrs Gemma O'Brien and Mrs Bev O’Callaghan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Braitling would have been in the Chamber last night and heard my contribution in relation to public housing. He really has led with his jaw, and it is a glass jaw, as we know in this House. He does not like it. He likes to give it but he does not like to take it.
As I mentioned, the township of Alice Springs has 888 Territory Housing properties, public housing dwellings, for the most needy in our community. People in this gallery might be interested to know that, in the last five years of the CLP government, 735 public housing properties were sold.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister might like to tell Alice Springs residents that they sold more than 2000 public housing properties in eight years.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat, member for Braitling.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The member for Sanderson continues to get the sell-off figures wrong. If he had asked me, I would have told him he is not including industry housing which still remains with public housing in the figures.
I will quote those figures. In the last 10 years, there has been a sell-off of around 2700 properties; 2100 of those were the CLP’s. That is shameful. In Alice Springs, we would have had double the number of public housing properties for the most needy in our community if you did not have a policy of selling them off. The minister at the time was quite glowing; they actually had a strategy for selling them. Seven hundred and thirty-five properties …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Housing Minister might like to explain to Territorians, Alice Springs residents …
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr GILES: I have not reached my point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, continue with the answer, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I have highlighted, the sell-off cannot continue. We have to grow public housing here, not only in Alice Springs …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can the minister explain why he sold public housing properties to pay for the waterfront?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, that is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, cease interjecting. Member for Braitling!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, it was actually the member for Drysdale.
Madam SPEAKER: Whoever it is over there, settle down. Contain yourselves.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, maybe the teachers from the school would like to separate them. That is what they do with the naughty boys on my right.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, continue with the answer, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, it is a very serious subject, because these properties are for the most needy in our society. We cannot sell off those properties. We would have had 1500 of those properties in Alice Springs if there had not been a mass coordinated sell-off. We currently have two four-bedroom homes being completed in Alice Springs, available to large families. Through the stimulus money, the money the CLP voted against, we are getting more short- term and crisis accommodation online as well. It is a good result: 70 new bedrooms coming online through the stimulus package. This government is fully aware of the need for public housing, and is growing public housing.
____________________
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 4/5 Ross Park Primary School students, with their teachers Mrs Gemma O'Brien and Mrs Bev O’Callaghan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
____________________
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Braitling would have been in the Chamber last night and heard my contribution in relation to public housing. He really has led with his jaw, and it is a glass jaw, as we know in this House. He does not like it. He likes to give it but he does not like to take it.
As I mentioned, the township of Alice Springs has 888 Territory Housing properties, public housing dwellings, for the most needy in our community. People in this gallery might be interested to know that, in the last five years of the CLP government, 735 public housing properties were sold.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister might like to tell Alice Springs residents that they sold more than 2000 public housing properties in eight years.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat, member for Braitling.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The member for Sanderson continues to get the sell-off figures wrong. If he had asked me, I would have told him he is not including industry housing which still remains with public housing in the figures.
I will quote those figures. In the last 10 years, there has been a sell-off of around 2700 properties; 2100 of those were the CLP’s. That is shameful. In Alice Springs, we would have had double the number of public housing properties for the most needy in our community if you did not have a policy of selling them off. The minister at the time was quite glowing; they actually had a strategy for selling them. Seven hundred and thirty-five properties …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Housing Minister might like to explain to Territorians, Alice Springs residents …
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr GILES: I have not reached my point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, continue with the answer, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I have highlighted, the sell-off cannot continue. We have to grow public housing here, not only in Alice Springs …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can the minister explain why he sold public housing properties to pay for the waterfront?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, that is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, cease interjecting. Member for Braitling!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, it was actually the member for Drysdale.
Madam SPEAKER: Whoever it is over there, settle down. Contain yourselves.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, maybe the teachers from the school would like to separate them. That is what they do with the naughty boys on my right.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, continue with the answer, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Speaker, it is a very serious subject, because these properties are for the most needy in our society. We cannot sell off those properties. We would have had 1500 of those properties in Alice Springs if there had not been a mass coordinated sell-off. We currently have two four-bedroom homes being completed in Alice Springs, available to large families. Through the stimulus money, the money the CLP voted against, we are getting more short- term and crisis accommodation online as well. It is a good result: 70 new bedrooms coming online through the stimulus package. This government is fully aware of the need for public housing, and is growing public housing.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016