Where did the housing debt money go?

*Speech delivered on 28/11/2022.

It has been three years since I had Tasmania's housing debt waived.

I haven't regretted my decision for a minute. I do believe that we need to go back and look at the stage 3 tax cuts. If I had to do it all over again I would. The deal was that the $157 million saved from the housing debt had to go back into housing in Tasmania. I thought I should give you an update on what that money has done so far. I also want to thank former Premier Gutwein. I want to thank the state housing minister, Guy Barnett, for giving me these details, as he does every three months.

So far $58.4 million has been spent and it's helped to build or support over 300 homes in Tasmania. The money has purchased 32 units in Glenorchy for supported accommodation. There's the construction of 23 new crisis accommodation units for young people in Burnie. Over $7 million has gone towards buying land for future housing developments and supporting affordable housing projects.

Two million dollars has gone to the Private Rental Incentives Program to help more Tasmanians get into affordable housing. 

This money has made a huge difference in Tasmania. There is still more money to go.

But I also know that our housing crisis is as bad as ever. My office receives calls from people who are homeless every single day. We are under no illusion about this. People are sleeping in their tents or in their cars or couch surfing. There are people sleeping rough who can easily afford rent but there's just nothing available.

The federal government says they have a goal to build one million new homes. We have no idea what that plan is or when the building will start. The federal Minister for Housing is Julie Collins, from Tasmania. I haven't seen her stand up and give the public, or Tasmanians, any answers on what this policy looks like. Seriously, if you could stand up, give Tasmanians some relief, tell us how many houses are getting built, when they are going to be built and who is building them that would be great. It might give us a little bit more stability down there and show you're actually bloody serious.