Public Housing

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:15): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding housing. My questions are:

1. According to the most recent Report on Government Services, what was the drop in new allocations of public housing to people from the waiting list in 2019-20 compared with the previous year?

2. According to the same report, what has been the change in new allocations to people with the greatest needs, including having low income and disability?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:16): It is a public report, so I am not sure why the honourable member needs to ask me to confirm what he can already obtain in the public domain. I don't actually have the statistics that he is referring to in front of me.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: It's a public report—maybe you should. I don't know why you wouldn't have the report.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: It is an interesting—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Order, Leader!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: It is an interesting strategy the Labor Party adopts on asking questions about what is in the public domain, which as I have said before is part of their—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: A very good question.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —which is part of what's in the public domain.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Opposition Whip is out of order. We will move on in a moment.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I am happy to report generally on the waiting list for public housing because I think it's actually really important to—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Well, I have some very contemporary statistics about the public waiting list. So when we—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Order! Minister, resume your seat. If the opposition does not want to listen to the answer to this, then we will move onto the next question.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: So the general reporting of the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I would really like to answer this, Mr President—it is some very important information.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: We will move on in a moment. If the opposition does not cease, we will go to the next question.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Please, Mr President, don't move on. I would just like to answer this question. Traditionally, the waiting list for public housing has been at about 20,000. The category 1 waiting list traditionally has been at about 4,000. I would like to report to you that as at 31 December 2020 the total waiting list was 16,420, compared with 20,000. The category 1 list was 2,912, compared with 4,000. They are the most recent statistics. If the Labor Party is genuinely interested in public housing waiting lists, I can give them more up-to-date information than is in the RoGS.