House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Rental Housing Reforms Rental Housing Reforms Mr ODENWALDER House of Assembly Elizabeth Rental Housing Reforms Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (14:41): My question is also to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update the house on any initiatives by the Malinauskas Labor government to assist renters in South Australia, and is he aware of any alternative views? The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries Rental Housing Reforms The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:41): I think I can assist the house in this regard. I know the member, like many of us, has a significant proportion of households in his electorate who are renters, and of course across the state more than one quarter of all households are renters. The rental vacancy rate in South Australia is the lowest in the nation, and has been for many months now—less than 1 per cent, or 0.5 per cent, I think, in the latest statistics. This highlights the need, to this government, to update our rental laws to make sure that renters have a fair chance in a very, very tight rental market. I am pleased to say that the work being led by the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs has already started delivering in spades for renters. We have already banned rent bidding and we have already lowered bond costs for many renters. In a further package of changes we are making sure that tenants can't have their lease ended without a reason being provided, and we are better balancing regulations around having pets in rental properties. But I have to say that it has come to my attention that these important reforms are not universally welcomed. The real estate industry supports these pragmatic reforms, but the Leader of the Opposition doesn't support these reforms. Many of us were familiar with the Leader of the Opposition simply as the member for Black. Of course this week most South Australians have become familiar with him more as the person occupying the middle of the Monopoly board—the owner of 14 properties. It is absolutely extraordinary. What has the Leader of the Opposition done? What has the occupant of the middle of the Monopoly board done? He has used taxpayer funds to send out a letter to thousands of South Australian households— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —saying 'Labor's war on landlords'. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It is almost as if the Leader of the Opposition feels specifically targeted by these reforms—absolutely extraordinary. I don't know too many people— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —who own 14 residential properties, and I certainly don't know too many people who own 14 residential properties and are in a position to use taxpayers' funds to send out letters to thousands of households advocating against these important reforms. So that raises— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS House of Assembly Black Leader of the Opposition The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Members to my right and my left, there is a point of order and it will be heard in silence. The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS House of Assembly Black Leader of the Opposition The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Standing order 126: I take extreme offence at those accusations, and I ask that they be withdrawn and that the Treasurer apologise. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I have standing order 126 but also 127, which concerns digression and personal reflection on members. The leader has taken offence, so I invite the Treasurer to withdraw and apologise. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I apologise for offending the leader. The Hon. V.A. Tarzia House of Assembly Hartley The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: And withdraw it! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I withdraw and I apologise to him, but I have nothing to believe that this is a falsification of this letter. The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It stands that the Leader of the Opposition on his own letterhead has spent considerable taxpayers' funds to send this letter out. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! That may be, however the standard is a subjective one, and the request has been made to withdraw and apologise. I invite the— The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I apologise to the leader. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Very well, that may resolve the point of order that was raised. Treasurer. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Notwithstanding the offence caused, it is extraordinary that a letter like this can be sent out by the Leader of the Opposition claiming a war on landlords. Those opposite made it their practice to highlight every single expenditure of the office of the Leader of the Opposition over the four-year period between 2018 and 2022, and I think it's important that this house has some understanding about how this Leader of the Opposition, in his particular circumstances— The Hon. V.A. TARZIA House of Assembly Hartley The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Point of order, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer, there is a point of order. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —of spending thousands of dollars of taxpayers' funds— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Treasurer, please be seated. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr Whetstone House of Assembly Chaffey Mr Whetstone: This is disgraceful. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Chaffey! Mr Whetstone House of Assembly Chaffey Mr Whetstone: It's a disgrace! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The point of order will be taken and heard in silence. The Hon. V.A. TARZIA House of Assembly Hartley The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The question was very clearly about housing matters, and the Treasurer has absolutely nothing to do with that matter, and so 98. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson! Mr Whetstone interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. V.A. TARZIA House of Assembly Hartley The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Standing order 98. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I have the standing order. There is some force in it, or might be if the second portion of the question wasn't so wide inviting alternative views. Nevertheless, I will listen carefully; and there is limited time remaining. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I can appreciate that, just as much as we believe it's important to provide some balance in the relationship between renters and landlords in the current rental market, that that view might not be shared by others. I make it clear we support landlords; we stood with them when those opposite were dialling up land tax on them and causing them thousands of extra dollars per year. I have to say, to see thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money being spent on a communication like this raises questions. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Before I turn to the member for Frome, I emphasise the provisions of standing order 127. They are important. Member for Frome.