HOUSE OF CARDS

Short-stay bid to test Hodgman Government’s hold on power

THE Hodgman Government’s fragile grip on power is set to be tested in the House of Assembly this week over the sensitive issue of short-stay accommodation.

Tomorrow the Greens plan to move to pause new permits for entire home listings in greater Hobart – a motion which is likely to gain Labor support and thus hinge on the vote of Speaker Sue Hickey. Ms Hickey’s support would see the Government lose a vote on the floor of Parliament.

HOBART’S housing crisis could be the issue that sees the Hodgman Government lose a vote on the floor of the House of Assembly.

The Greens will this week move to pause new short-stay permits for entire home listings in the greater Hobart area — a policy position held by Labor and likely to receive the party’s support.

That would put the casting vote of Denison MP and Speaker Sue Hickey — who has been outspoken in her concerns about the housing crisis — to the test for the first time.

Recent data released by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for the Study of Social Change indicates greater Hobart has not yet hit “peak Airbnb”, with listings for entire homes growing by 212 per cent between July 2016 and February 2018.

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said short-stay accommodation was a key contributor to the housing crisis, and parliament must deal with the issue.

“We know it’s not going to fix the problem, but we do believe it’s important that there’s a ‘press pause clause’ on Airbnb until we can get the policy setting right,” Ms O’Connor said yesterday.

“Unless Parliament does something soon, the housing crisis in greater Hobart will only escalate.

Ms Hickey is a Liberal but won the speakership with the support of Labor and the Greens — knocking out the Liberals’ nominee Rene Hidding.

She said she intended to ensure she was in the Speaker’s chair when the motion is moved on Wednesday.

“I won’t make a decision until I’ve heard the last person speak, but I’m fairly well briefed in it and very interested in it,” she said. “From being Lord Mayor I was acutely aware of the housing crisis and that there was some concern that Airbnb had a greater impact in greater Hobart than anywhere else.

“I’m very aware that people like Colony 47 and [TasCOSS chief executive] Kym Goodes and people like that would like to see a pause on Airbnb.”

Labor leader Rebecca White said her party had called for a pause on short-stay accommodation approvals in high-stress areas.

“The only party that is failing to acknowledge that the sharing economy is having an impact on the rental economy is the Liberal Party,” she said.

A government spokesman said the Liberals did not plan to support the Greens’ motion.

When asked what would happen if the Government lost a vote on the floor of parliament this week Treasurer Peter Gutwein said “we are a strong, united government. We have 13 Liberals in the house, and it’s my expectation that we will continue to govern sensibly and responsibly into the future.”

We know it’s not going to fix the problem, but we do believe it’s important that there’s a ‘press pause clause’ on Airbnb until we can get the policy setting right

— CASSY O’CONNOR