Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby) [12.47 p.m.]: I am delighted to speak about the important and vital role that social housing plays in our community, whether in Hornsby, Sydney or elsewhere in New South Wales. It is critical to ensuring that people on low incomes who have often fallen through the gaps are able to take advantage of that safety net and have the protection that the rest of us sometimes take for granted.
I am also delighted to say that this Government takes seriously the role of public housing and the contribution it makes to those who need it. That is why, in Tuesday's budget, the Coalition Government announced $138 million for specialist homelessness services to cater for 53,500 people, including crisis and transitional support and assistance to help break the cycle of repeat homelessness.
Again, I am delighted that the budget allocated $162 million for tenancy management to improve social, economic and physical environments of social housing and deliver options for greater participation of tenants. An additional $36 million is to be provided for the Land and Housing Corporation to contribute towards the delivery of 196 community housing dwellings for vulnerable clients, to be managed by the non-government sector. This is important because the Government takes seriously the role that social housing plays. But it is not all about the dollars. We have to be smarter about how we provide social housing and we have to be fairer to ensure that people can access it when they need it. This Government needs to work better and smarter to improve the services and lives of our social housing tenants and to progress reforms that make access to social housing fairer and more transparent. I am keen to support that.
As a Coalition member of Parliament, I make one point about yesterday's budget. It is fine to talk about allocating funding to social programs and a whole range of initiatives, but the Liberal Party believes that creating a more productive and competitive economy that achieves economic growth will mean more prosperity for us all to share. This budget aims to achieve economic growth in New South Wales. When that happens, we are better able to provide the safety nets and support structures that are needed for the most vulnerable persons in our communities. I am delighted to say that this Government is delivering funds to important social housing programs. I want to be part of a Government that continues to protect the most vulnerable in our society. This can be achieved by having dry economics but warm hearts. That is what the Coalition Government is seeking to do.
I commend the member for Sydney for his continued advocacy for those residents in the social housing community. As the member for Hornsby I will always stand up for those in social housing in my community, as all members of this Parliament should do for their electorates. Those vulnerable people who live in social housing have no alternative. The measure of a good government should be determined by how it protects the most vulnerable in its society. It is our responsibility to protect them and deliver the social services that they need.
Read the full transcript in Hansard.
