Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader and Housing spokesperson
The Liberals have used their numbers once again to prevent debate on the capacity of another failing Minister. This time, Housing Minister, Roger Jaensch.
Under Mr Jaensch, and his predecessor, housing waiting lists have ballooned to more than 3,200 with the average wait time for a home, now blown out to more than a year.
Even the Liberals admit their ongoing failures in this portfolio, with Budget papers projecting the housing wait list blowing out to 3,400 this year.
Minister Jaensch has failed to regulate short stay accommodation. Once again, he has no plan for emergency accommodation for those sleeping rough this winter.
After the full bench of the Supreme Court last week upheld the right of Housing Tasmania tenants to receive natural justice, the Liberals have repeatedly refused to rule out appealing the decision to the High Court.
Why would the Liberals want to make it easier for Housing Tasmania to evict people into homelessness? It just beggars belief.
This would be a High Court appeal, overseen by Minister Jaensch, to allow the eviction of tenants into homelessness without just cause.
On this bloody mindedness alone, the Minister who is supposedly responsible for the housing needs of some of the most disadvantaged within our community, deserves the censure of the House.
We sought to censure the Minister because we know he needs a rocket under his chair. Business as usual in the housing portfolio is just not an option.
A growing number of Tasmanians are suffering. They need an urgent response from a government that prioritises building homes for people over the construction of roads and bridges.
All Tasmanians know we are the in the grip of a housing crisis and Minister Jaensch has failed to drive effective action to provide homes for those who need them.
Instead of defending the embattled Housing Minister - now under attack from one of his own colleagues - the Liberals gagged today's Parliamentary debate.