(Dame Annabelle Rankin, Australia's first female federal Minister with responsibility for a government department. She was Housing Minister (1966-71) in two Coalition Governments).
Instead, Minister for Social Services, Kevin Andrews, has responsibility for social housing, rent assistance, homelessness and housing affordability in the new government. Congratulations Minister Andrews.
With no disrespect to Minister Andrews, we believe that either he or another of his colleagues should be the Minister for Housing, with a brief for housing policy that extends beyond the social security system.
In the absence of such a portfolio, we'll regard the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, and the Treasurer, Joe Hockey, as our unnamed Ministers for Housing. Congratulations to them too.
Fair point Chris, tho i must say Andrews' portfolio is slightly better than Jenny Macklin's 'Housing, indigenous affairs & mental health' - she had all the goodies! It certainly is time housing ministers went beyond social housing policy and covered the wider economic issues prevalent in so many subsidies for the speculative elite.
ReplyDeleteOur NGO Prosper Australia has been busy promoting the latest Speculative Vacancy report - finding 64,465 empty homes during Melbourne's never ending housing crisis. We'd love to take the methodology to Sydney.
Hi Karl
ReplyDeleteThe Speculative Vacancy Report is terrific, and we'd be delighted to see a Sydney version.