Housing debt is no joke: Senator
SENATOR Eric Abetz has broken ranks with his Liberal colleagues to declare Tasmania’s historic housing debt should not be forgiven by Canberra.
Senator Abetz told Sky News that waiving the $157 million debt — that costs $15 million a year to service — would amount to “rewarding bad behaviour by state governments”.
Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar is expected in Hobart tomorrow to attend a summit on homelessness organised by Hobart City Council.
Mr Sukkar will meet separately with state Housing Minister Roger Jaensch, who will use the meeting to push for the waiving of the huge debt Tasmania racked up between the 1950s and 1980s to boost its social housing supply. If waived, the cash saved would be tied to new housing spending.
Meanwhile, Clarence Council has followed Hobart’s lead and declared a housing and homelessness crisis.
TASMANIA’S historic housing debt should not be forgiven by the Federal Government, according to Liberal senator Eric Abetz.
Senator Abetz yesterday told Sky News that waiving the $157 million debt would amount to rewarding bad behaviour — despite the fact the annual repayments cut the state’s commonwealth housing grant in half every year.
“The simple fact is that Tasmania borrowed money for the purposes of social housing and there needs to be repayment of that, otherwise it rewards bad behaviour by state governments,” Senator Abetz said.
“Whether we can come to some sort of accommodation to ensure people don’t suffer as a result of the bad behaviour of previous state governments, that is something I would like to explore with the (federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar).” Mr Sukkar is expected in Tasmania tomorrow to attend an emergency housing summit organised by the Hobart City Council.
He will meet separately with state Housing Minister Roger Jaensch to discuss forgiving the huge debt Tasmania racked up between the 1950s and 1980s to boost its social housing supply.
The Commonwealth forgave a similar debt carried by South Australia, but Senator