Thursday, 8 February 2024

Housing

Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:38): My question is to the Premier. Damian from Foster has a disability and lives in a unit behind his mother’s public housing home. Last year their properties were so full of mould that contractors refused to enter. Damian did not have a bathroom for three months while waiting for repairs. Damian has been on the priority housing transfer list since January last year. Why do vulnerable Victorians like Damian live in unacceptable conditions because Labor cannot manage public housing?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:38): I thank the member for Gippsland South for his question, and if the member for Gippsland South is willing to help Damian seek further advice and assistance from the government agencies, through the housing portfolio, I would invite the member for Gippsland South to appropriately provide that information outside of the chamber so Damian’s dignity can be respected and his matter can be worked through outside of this chamber with the housing minister, who I note also represents the communities of Gippsland and I am sure will be willing to work with the local member, as I said, if he wants to give Damian the dignity and privacy of raising this matter outside of this place.

On the broader housing issues, as the member knows well, we have been working incredibly hard to invest in more public housing. Whether it is through the $5.3 billion in the Big Housing Build committed to in 2020 or whether it is the addition of a further $1 billion last year to build at least 1300 ‍social and affordable homes across regional Victoria, we are determined and committed to building more homes in regional Victoria. Given the apparent genuineness with which the member for Gippsland South asked the question, I would hope that he would also, in this place and in his role as a local member of Parliament, use every opportunity to support the construction of building more public, social and affordable housing, not use – as others have done in this place, indeed some of his own colleagues – parliamentary mechanisms and tools and local councils, like the Leader of the Opposition has done, to oppose and stop these sorts of critically important housing developments, because they provide the dignity of a roof over the heads of people like Damian.

Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:40): I thank the Premier for her response, and I note that there is less public housing in South Gippsland shire now than there was in 2015. I also note your response for me to pass on the details of Damian’s situation. Disappointingly, Premier, I wrote to the housing minister on Damian’s behalf in July last year. Despite repeated reminders and emails and following up to the minister, Damian and I have still not received a response. Why is this government so callous that it will not even provide Damian and his mother with a response after eight months?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:41): I thank again the member for Gippsland South for his question. Again I reiterate that if there is the opportunity for the member for Gippsland South to provide these details outside –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: With respect, I think we can all see what is going on here.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, on the question of debating the issue, I have just outlined that I have formally written to the minister in the past. I might add that on a previous occasion when the Premier invited me to provide details of a case just like this I never heard back from the government at all.

The SPEAKER: I will take the first part of the point of order on debating, and I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I think it is important that we give the individuals that are being referred to in these questions a bit more respect and dignity than what the member is affording them, because the member for Gippsland South pretty quickly flicked the switch to politics. I hope he has advised Damian that under every budget –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will resume her seat. Member for South-West Coast, you will not get a Christmas card this year.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on standing order 118, the Premier has now made quite a serious imputation about the member, who has genuinely raised a matter in good faith. I would ask you to bring the Premier back to the question.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold that point of order, but I do ask the Premier to come back. The Premier has concluded her answer.