HOWARD IGNORANT OF HOUSING CRISIS: SCHWARTEN
Published Thursday, 20 September, 2007 at 05:56 PM
Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
Prime Minister John Howard has relinquished any right he has to be Prime Minister with his comments in Federal Parliament today that there was not a housing crisis in Australia, Queensland Housing Minister Robert Schwarten said today.
“It doesn’t matter who you talk to whether its Anglicare in Mackay or the Housing Industry Association, which represents home builders across Australia, they’re all saying there is a crisis,” Mr Schwarten said.
“It's a sad reflection on the years of the Howard Government, which has pushed blame on to the States Government and ignored the fact that its Rent Assistance Policy has collapsed.
“Mr Howard should own up to people living in places like Mackay where rents in the private rental market, which the Federal Government funds and promotes, have increased from $170-$350 a week in the past five years.
“Not one person in Mackay’s wage has risen by that amount in that time and its like a cancer that has spread right across regional Queensland and Australia.
“The reality is Kevin Rudd and Federal Labor understands there needs to be a new, regulates private rental market.
“Mr Rudd’s policy of adding 50,000 new dwellings in a regulated market is the most innovative and progressive housing policy since World War Two.
“Like so many other things the Prime Minister has proposed, like his broadband patch-up policy, this shows just how out of touch he has become.
“Mr Howard has no housing policy and no Housing Minister and it’s time for him to make way for a Kevin Rudd-led Labor Government.”
Media contact: Scott Chandler on (07) 3237 1184
“It doesn’t matter who you talk to whether its Anglicare in Mackay or the Housing Industry Association, which represents home builders across Australia, they’re all saying there is a crisis,” Mr Schwarten said.
“It's a sad reflection on the years of the Howard Government, which has pushed blame on to the States Government and ignored the fact that its Rent Assistance Policy has collapsed.
“Mr Howard should own up to people living in places like Mackay where rents in the private rental market, which the Federal Government funds and promotes, have increased from $170-$350 a week in the past five years.
“Not one person in Mackay’s wage has risen by that amount in that time and its like a cancer that has spread right across regional Queensland and Australia.
“The reality is Kevin Rudd and Federal Labor understands there needs to be a new, regulates private rental market.
“Mr Rudd’s policy of adding 50,000 new dwellings in a regulated market is the most innovative and progressive housing policy since World War Two.
“Like so many other things the Prime Minister has proposed, like his broadband patch-up policy, this shows just how out of touch he has become.
“Mr Howard has no housing policy and no Housing Minister and it’s time for him to make way for a Kevin Rudd-led Labor Government.”
Media contact: Scott Chandler on (07) 3237 1184