Public Housing

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:53): A supplementary: has the Marshall government asked for its public housing federal debt to be waived in its term?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:54): I will bring a more detailed response back to the house in that regard. I understand that that debt was waived several years ago and that the expectation was that the grant to the Housing Authority would be increased as a result—this was under the previous government—but that Treasury at that time just determined to continue to not increase the grant to cover that matter. That is my understanding of that situation. The federal government waived it, but Labor decided to keep using the South Australian Housing Authority (or the trust) as an ATM.