Public Housing

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:33): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding housing.

Leave granted.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: No; housing is quite important, thank you. In this place yesterday the minister said that the Liberals don't engage in a policy of 'spray and pray' when it comes to spending money on housing and homelessness.

Last week, the minister's senior executives revealed that an extra $50 million had been spent on public housing maintenance last year, for a total of nearly $170 million. The same executives then revealed that money had been spent on appliances, including dozens of air conditioners that could not be installed. It was also revealed that money had been spent covering up critical air vents in apartments that had helped to prevent black mould. More money was then spent reopening the vents after complaints were received. My question to the minister is: how exactly can the minister claim that her policy isn't 'spray and pray' when her own executives admit to the wasting of public money on maintenance programs?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:34): I think the honourable member is misrepresenting the comments of the executives. In relation to the air conditioners, my understanding is that they have been purchased and there needs to be an upgrade of the SAPN system or whatever it is in order for them to be installed. I am sure that if those tenants were reading Hansard they—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: You might like to listen to the answer.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —may well interpret the disparaging of these air-conditioning units as evidence—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —that the Labor Party doesn't believe they should have air-conditioning units installed, so they might just want to reflect on that.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In relation to some of the walk-up flat sites, some of those sites are very challenging. They are quite old and so in terms of—and bearing in mind there is a huge diversity in our stock—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: There is a huge diversity in our stock and some sites present more challenges than others. There will always be issues with these matters. Need I remind the Labor Party about the memorial Mimili, two containers that contained asbestos that were placed on the lands at great expense and then removed at great expense, so I'm not going to be lectured by the Labor Party on any of these issues.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke has a supplementary.