Ms O'CONNOR - Thank you, minister. Are you able to tell the House how many Housing Tasmania titles have been transferred to the community sector since 2014?
Mr JAENSCH - Since 2014?
Ms O'CONNOR - Since 2014, since you came to Government. Noting that this is privatisation.
Mr JAENSCH - Are you talking about title transfers?
Ms O'CONNOR - You know I was.
Mr JAENSCH - We have a lot of information here at the table. I can get that number and bring it back to the table so we do not waste time.
Ms O'CONNOR - I think the number is there. You do not have a record available of how many titles have been transferred?
Mr JAENSCH - I will ask Jess to get me a number and pass it to me so that I can put it onto the record in answer to that. Title transfers since 2014.
Ms O'CONNOR - Can you confirm that more titles have been transferred since the transfer of about 500 or so in the previous term? You do not know this off the top of your head?
Mr JAENSCH - There have been no new titles transfer programs since those that were originally in place.
Ms O'CONNOR - No new title transfers?
Mr JAENSCH - No, there have been no new programs of title transfer. Where there have been previous contracted agreements that include title transfers, those have been conducted. I will get you a number in answer to your question directly.
Ms O'CONNOR - Will you bring it back to the table in this sitting?
Mr JAENSCH - I will bring it as soon as I have it.
Ms O'CONNOR - We've just seen at this table some sort of epic attempts at buck-passing.
Do we have an answer to the question about how many Housing Tasmania titles have been transferred to the community sector since 2014?
Mr JAENSCH - I am advised that the only title transfers for properties have been those transferred under the Community Housing Stock Leverage Program.
Ms O'CONNOR - How many?
Mr JAENSCH - There have been 359 since 2014. I can confirm that the further transfers that are being made, including under the Community Housing Growth Program and the transfers of a further 2000 properties that we've referred to most recently is management only not title transfers. So since the Community Housing Stock Leverage Program we have not commenced any further programs based on transfers of title.
Ms O'CONNOR - To be really clear and so that I can get some absolute clarity and move on from this issue, since 2014 the only Housing Tasmania titles that have been transferred to the community sector are the 359 that were in fact transferred under the previous minister?
Mr JAENSCH - There were 359 properties with title transfer.
Ms O'CONNOR - Housing Tasmania properties?
Mr JAENSCH - Director of Housing-owned properties transferred under the community housing stock leverage program, 359 since 2014. That is the advice that I have.
Ms O'CONNOR - I am wondering if you are being tricky though? Is there another program or another vehicle for transferring title?
Mr JAENSCH - The programs we are dealing with at the moment are about us retaining title and transferring management, so that there is a larger proportion of our stock that is managed as social housing by the community housing sector, taking advantage of the flow of Commonwealth rental assistance.