While the Tasmanian majority Liberal Government announced this week a suite of commitments that will deliver hundreds of additional social and affordable houses, it is shameful lazy Labor emerges from a summer holiday with one, un-costed idea.
Labor has not only had months, but six years to present an alternative vision for Tasmania and the best Rebecca White could offer the public this week was a three sentence un-costed thought bubble on housing.
Labor is surely trying to con Tasmanians by selling their policy like a solution to solve every problem, without explaining how. What we know is that their policy will cost $200,000 per house, over 10 years but it is not clear what happens next. Under our model, we will get new homes for $100,000, and we will own them outright.
Labor’s plan does not appear to be supported by any of the recommendations of the recent Select Committee Inquiry on Housing Affordability, chaired by one of its own; yet our announcements this week address several priority recommendations from that same enquiry.
In contrast, the Tasmanian majority Liberal Government continues to use the benefits of a strong economy to deliver on its multi-faceted plan to build more housing for Tasmanians in need.
Our announcements this week provide certainty for Community Housing Providers and sees state-owned houses available to social housing tenants for as long as they need them.
The Premier also confirmed that funding will be brought forward for key new projects from our Second Affordable Housing Action Plan. This means we can start work on the new Hobart and Burnie Youth Foyers, the Launceston Youth at Risk project and the Thyne House youth supported accommodation expansion much earlier than planned.
We are also extending the $20,000 First Home Owners Grant and also continuing the stamp duty concession for eligible pensioners downsizing their home and for first home buyers of established homes until June 2022.
While we are getting on with this challenging job, all Labor can do is whinge and carp from the sidelines.
It has truly been a week of contrasts in Parliament - Premier Peter Gutwein bringing forward more than 30 costed initiatives in his State-of the State address, on top of the current Budget Plan, while Lazy Labor is still asleep on the beach.