Background on Labor Government selling off public housing, and recent promise to cease the practice. 

Amy: 
My question is to the Minister for Housing. Regarding the government’s pause to public housing privatisation after the sell-off of 295 public homes in the last 18 months, what will it take for the government to commit to a permanent end to privatising public housing?


Minister for Housing: 
I thank the member for the question. The premise of the member’s question is incorrect. As I have said very clearly, a strategic asset management strategy has been in place for successive governments where the reinvestment of properties into building new properties has been a normal practice. We are trying to ensure that we are building the right types of dwellings to fit the kinds of needs that we are seeing from those who are seeking out support from the government.

This is quite remarkable coming from the member for South Brisbane, whose own party actively campaigned against some of the supports we put in place for those who were experiencing homelessness in the inner city of Brisbane during COVID.* This is the same party that campaigned against any kind of housing development in the inner city of Brisbane. We have that kind of campaigning against any kind of dwelling and we have the member for Broadwater, who, as we have already heard from the Premier, opposed social housing dwellings when he was the deputy mayor and chair of the planning committee at Townsville City Council. He has never seen a social housing property that he wanted to have in his own area.

We have got the Greens and the LNP on a unity ticket here. They are on a unity ticket when it comes to the way that we manage social housing in this state. They both oppose dwellings at different ends of the degree in this state for different reasons but it is the same outcome—fewer dwellings. We continue to ensure that we are managing our social housing stock in a way that is sensitive for the future.

*Greens actual housing policy


Amy: 
[interjecting]


Minister for Housing:
I cannot possibly hear the interjections from the member for South Brisbane.


[Government Minister Interjecting]


Minister for Housing:
 I take that interjection. It appears they are actually campaigning for more houseboats. We will continue to ensure that we are supporting the right mix of the types of social housing that we need to be able to meet the needs of those who are seeking support from the Queensland government—with more one- and two-bedroom properties to be able to support those who are in need. We will continue to do that through our record $2.9 billion housing investment in Queensland.*

*(Note: $2.9 billion is the Government's valuing of the Investment Fund and does not represent real funding, merely a reallocation of existing assets in the books. Earnings from the Investment Fund total only $65 million real funding.)