Housing SA

Mr KNOLL (Schubert) (14:54): I understand the minister's answer, and that she has taken corrective actions as a result of the second investigation, but why did it take a second investigation for those actions to be taken? Why wasn't that action taken after the initial investigation that was conducted by her department in February 2013?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:54): It was my understanding at the time that the investigation took place that no money was exchanged between Mr Patterson and people in his unit—it was couchsurfing.com—and that was my understanding. Obviously, as I said, there has been a growth in online businesses and I think we must be very clear to our tenants that it is a privilege, not a right, to be in public housing and that their rent is tied to their income (it is 25 per cent of their income), and what he did was a breach. I think the first investigation found that no money was exchanged at that time.