MEMBER for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp has “applauded” the State Government’s rejection of the Opposition’s social housing policy,
“(Wendy) Lovell stood in Parliament and said that the Coalition favoured excluding social housing residents from certain suburbs because their footwear and phones were of a different standard and they wouldn’t fit in,” Mr Gepp said.
“I wrote to Liberal Leader Matthew Guy and Nationals Leader Peter Walsh, calling on them to dump Ms Lovell’s policy pronouncement and to admonish her for her bigoted stance – yet all we have heard is crickets.
The Labor MP said following the “filature of the Coalition leadership to rule out such a policy setting whilst still hearing from concerned social housing residents”, Mr Gepp called on Housing Minister Richard Wynne in Parliament to respond to the Coalition’s announcement.
Ms Lovell, the Shadow Housing Minister, told the upper house in March that there is “no point” putting low income, welfare-dependent families in affluent areas like Brighton.
“Where the children cannot mix with others,” she said.
“Or go to the school with other children or where they do not have the same ability to have the latest in sneakers and iPhones et cetera.
“We have got to make sure that people can actually fit into a neighbourhood, that they have a good life, and that people are not stigmatising them because of their circumstances.”
Mr Wynne said the government “completely rejected” the Coalition’s policy proposal.
“To place requirements on social housing renters in relation to ownership of specific telecommunication products or apparel would be inconsistent with Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities,” Mr Wynne said.
Mr Gepp said there was “no place in modern Victoria for the appalling social housing views stated by Ms Lovell”.
He said he was relieved there would never be criteria applied for social housing residency.
“As a former public housing resident for the majority of my childhood, I can tell you all we ever wanted was a hand up not a hand out and a bit of understanding,” he said. “That so-called leaders still hold views that our standard of footwear or the brand of our phone defines us is disappointing and hurtful.”
At the time, Mr Guy said the comments were “exceptionally clumsy” but defended Ms Lovell who he claims meant well.
“I think Wendy means well and made some exceptionally clumsy remarks in talking about stigmatisation,” he said.
“And I do think as a former Housing Minister, she is certainly trying to find the best contention. It hasn’t certainly been put that way. I think we all agree on that.
“Social housing, in my view, should go where there are services available for people who need it.”
The Swan Hill region has been allocated $15 million to construct social housing as part of the Big Housing Build.
