❓ Mr. Mubarakai asks about the Cook Labor government's plans to increase social and affordable housing. The Minister outlines investments and partnerships with community housing providers, while also criticising the opposition's stance on housing projects and highlighting a connection between a Liberal member and a controversial builder.
AnsweredQoN 189Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Supply
189. Mr Yaz Mubarakai to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home. Can the minister outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is
working with community housing providers to deliver more social homes and
affordable rentals across the state?
189. Mr Yaz Mubarakai to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home. Can the minister outline to the house how the Cook Labor government is
working with community housing providers to deliver more social homes and
affordable rentals across the state?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for his question. As a government, we are taking very seriously the pressures in
the housing and rental market. It is for that reason that people have seen
record investment of $6.3 billion in social and affordable homes and
homelessness programs. We understand that community housing providers have a
critical role to play. We are facilitating community housing providers by both
funding their projects and, through DevelopmentWA, building projects that we
then hand over to community housing providers. We are providing around $500 million
as part of that record investment in refurbishments and new builds, which is
helping the community housing sector to grow. Why is it so crucial? It is
because they can also leverage funding from the Housing Australia Future Fund.
Accordingly, we can expand our social housing, and that is what we are doing.
There are 30 build-to-rent
projects, which will all be community housing provider–led projects, and they will
bolster both social and affordable housing. In addition, we are providing $6 million
in funding to bolster the capacity of the community housing sector in the way
it both delivers and manages. We note—of course, I revealed this in Parliament
earlier this week—that the member for Cottesloe is actively encouraging people
to oppose those community housing build-to-rent projects. That is
unprecedented. I understand that someone says, "Put in your submission",
but not that someone says, "I share your concerns, I share the opposition
you have and I strongly urge you to lodge an objection to social and affordable
build-to-rent projects." That is the politicisation that we have heard
about. When directly asked at a press conference whether the Liberal Party was
politicising housing supply, the Urban Development Institute of Australia said
yes resolutely to Geof Parry, a highly credible reporter.
We had some other
extraordinary statements last night from the member for Central Wheatbelt while
he was trying to defend Hon Anthony Spagnolo and his connection to
Nicheliving. He came out and, bizarrely, tried to connect a photo of a former
Premier at a round table with Hon Anthony Spagnolo. Let us remind people
again what Hon Anthony Spagnolo did.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: Unlike Mark McGowan, Hon Anthony
Spagnolo worked—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Members!
Mr John Carey: He
worked for Nicheliving. He did not just work for Nicheliving, he facilitated
capital for Nicheliving.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, this is not
an opportunity for you to prosecute your argument.
Mr John Carey: Here is the interesting thing that the
member for Central Wheatbelt described last night. I have to agree with him. He
called it a "dirty builder" that ruined "tens of thousands of
people's livelihoods and dreams". Here is a question for the Nationals WA
and Liberal Party. Hon Anthony Spagnolo was the investor relations person for
a dirty builder.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Minister,
please wait. Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am calling you for the second
time. Please stop interjecting. You do not get the opportunity to do that. If
you want to ask a question, stand on your feet. Minister, could you conclude
your comments, please?
Mr John Carey: Of course, he was the investor
relations person for the "dirty builder" that ruined "tens of
thousands of people's livelihoods and dreams". This is the real thing: the
WA Leader of the Liberal Party sits silent. Why has he not asked that member
what he knew? What was his involvement? Why did he not speak?
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Do not
interject!
Mr John Carey: Why does the Liberal leader protect
him? Finally, why did that Liberal member delete all references to his
employment from LinkedIn? What has that member got to hide? Why do we have a
lack of leadership from the Liberal leader, who does nothing but run a
protection racket for that member?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. Members!
for his question. As a government, we are taking very seriously the pressures in
the housing and rental market. It is for that reason that people have seen
record investment of $6.3 billion in social and affordable homes and
homelessness programs. We understand that community housing providers have a
critical role to play. We are facilitating community housing providers by both
funding their projects and, through DevelopmentWA, building projects that we
then hand over to community housing providers. We are providing around $500 million
as part of that record investment in refurbishments and new builds, which is
helping the community housing sector to grow. Why is it so crucial? It is
because they can also leverage funding from the Housing Australia Future Fund.
Accordingly, we can expand our social housing, and that is what we are doing.
There are 30 build-to-rent
projects, which will all be community housing provider–led projects, and they will
bolster both social and affordable housing. In addition, we are providing $6 million
in funding to bolster the capacity of the community housing sector in the way
it both delivers and manages. We note—of course, I revealed this in Parliament
earlier this week—that the member for Cottesloe is actively encouraging people
to oppose those community housing build-to-rent projects. That is
unprecedented. I understand that someone says, "Put in your submission",
but not that someone says, "I share your concerns, I share the opposition
you have and I strongly urge you to lodge an objection to social and affordable
build-to-rent projects." That is the politicisation that we have heard
about. When directly asked at a press conference whether the Liberal Party was
politicising housing supply, the Urban Development Institute of Australia said
yes resolutely to Geof Parry, a highly credible reporter.
We had some other
extraordinary statements last night from the member for Central Wheatbelt while
he was trying to defend Hon Anthony Spagnolo and his connection to
Nicheliving. He came out and, bizarrely, tried to connect a photo of a former
Premier at a round table with Hon Anthony Spagnolo. Let us remind people
again what Hon Anthony Spagnolo did.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: Unlike Mark McGowan, Hon Anthony
Spagnolo worked—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Members!
Mr John Carey: He
worked for Nicheliving. He did not just work for Nicheliving, he facilitated
capital for Nicheliving.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, this is not
an opportunity for you to prosecute your argument.
Mr John Carey: Here is the interesting thing that the
member for Central Wheatbelt described last night. I have to agree with him. He
called it a "dirty builder" that ruined "tens of thousands of
people's livelihoods and dreams". Here is a question for the Nationals WA
and Liberal Party. Hon Anthony Spagnolo was the investor relations person for
a dirty builder.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Minister,
please wait. Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am calling you for the second
time. Please stop interjecting. You do not get the opportunity to do that. If
you want to ask a question, stand on your feet. Minister, could you conclude
your comments, please?
Mr John Carey: Of course, he was the investor
relations person for the "dirty builder" that ruined "tens of
thousands of people's livelihoods and dreams". This is the real thing: the
WA Leader of the Liberal Party sits silent. Why has he not asked that member
what he knew? What was his involvement? Why did he not speak?
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Do not
interject!
Mr John Carey: Why does the Liberal leader protect
him? Finally, why did that Liberal member delete all references to his
employment from LinkedIn? What has that member got to hide? Why do we have a
lack of leadership from the Liberal leader, who does nothing but run a
protection racket for that member?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister. Members!
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