Housing Trust Rent

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain to Rex, a Housing Trust tenant who lives in a small, one-bedroom cottage flat in Morphett Vale, why he must forgo life's basic necessities to try to pay for the government's rent increase of up to $30 per week? With your leave and that of the house—

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Rex relies upon the age pension to make ends meet from week to week. Because of the Premier's cruel decision to jack up the weekly rent, Rex will now need to somehow find hundreds of extra dollars each year to go to what would otherwise be groceries, utilities or, indeed, his medication.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:14): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question because it gives an opportunity to identify the rank hypocrisy at the highest level that is coming with this line of questioning from the Leader of the Opposition. Some—

Mr Malinauskas: Why is that?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Listen up, sport, and you might hear something. Okay?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: I will take the point of order once members on my left and right cease interjecting.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There's a point of order from the member for West Torrens. He deserves silence while I hear this, please.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: One of two, sir. First, all remarks should be addressed through the chair. Secondly, she is deliberately attempting to create a quarrel.

The SPEAKER: I didn't even hear that second one, but I will listen carefully to ensure that there is no breach of standing orders. The Deputy Premier has the call. I expect her to be heard in silence.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: David Penberthy got it right when he described the opposition's crocodile tears in response to the state budget of a responsible government as hypocrisy, as hysterical about a quite mild budget.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Hypocritical—

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Hypocritical and hysterical.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: And the reason for that—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —is the tens of thousands of people who sat on Housing Trust lists waiting to get access to supported accommodation under 16 years of Labor, who got locked out in the cold. Furthermore, in relation to rent just back in 2011, some of you on that side of the house weren't there; some of our people weren't there on that side of the house, but let me tell you what happened in 2011. The former Labor government announced the increase in Housing Trust rents from 17 to 19 per cent of income for tenants living in bedsits—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: No, well, you were there; you were there; you were there.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: And 19 to 21 per cent for those living in—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader will cease interjecting. Deputy Premier, please be seated.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —one-bedroom—

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier, please be seated for one moment. The question was about Housing Trust tenants. The Deputy Premier is relaying information that is pertinent to that. She deserves to be heard in silence. At this rate, members, especially on my left, may be departing the chamber today. The Deputy Premier has the call.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Fresh after the 2010 election, in 2011 the then Labor government increased the bedsits, 17 to 19 per cent increase of the rent in relation to income, and from 19 to 21 for those living in one bedroom cottage flats, which, back then, equated to $8.40 a week for a single pensioner. That is seven years ago. That is what the former Labor government did, and it is in the envelope of some parity, around Australia, of asking the taxpayers of South Australia to support those in supported accommodation up to 25 per cent.

What is happening now is that South Australia is continuing to subsidise, and will for the next few years, over 75 per cent of the rental for these tenants, and it is important that we do it. But it is also important to have some parity with others who are in exactly that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —same situation. It is exactly the same as the former government did in attempting to do that—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The leader is called to order. The leader will cease interjecting.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: What is so galling, of course, is that the Labor leader, the Leader of the Opposition, claimed last week on ABC radio that housing rents were never increased under Labor. That is a complete and utter lie. That is a complete and utter lie, and he should be apologising to the house—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for West Torrens. The Deputy Premier's time has expired.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Deputy Premier accused the Leader of the Opposition of lying. I ask that she withdraw or move a substantive motion.

The SPEAKER: Would the Deputy Premier like to withdraw that?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Can I put this to you.

The SPEAKER: Would you like to withdraw?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: No, because I said—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —that in relation to a statement made on ABC radio that there had never been an increase under Labor, that was a deliberate lie. So there is no notion of lying here today, and therefore that objection is out of order.

The SPEAKER: Does the leader take offence to that statement?

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Move on? The leader has the call. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sorry, the member for Hurtle Vale has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right! I will come back to you.