Wendy Hayhurst (Community Housing Industry Association) and I met with Treasury officials, the Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers MP, John Alexander MP and others to outline the report’s findings and arrange briefings for officials with the researchers.
The event featured the report authors and responses from leading economists Shane Wright, Nikki Hutley and Saul Eslake. An interview with report author Professor Duncan McLennan is available here and outlines the recommendations and directions required to ensure housing becomes more utilitarian.
Wendy and I also met with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the nearly completed Homelessness Inquiry, Sharon Claydon MP and Andrew Wallace MP to make a final plea for the report to include recommendations for lifting social housing levels via Commonwealth funding contributions and the need for a national strategy to address the housing system and homelessness.
3. Adrian was also scheduled to meet The Hon Anne Ruston MP, Minister for Social Services to discuss all of these items but unfortunately, the meeting was postponed to a future date. We were happy to have meetings lined up with two Ministers and continue to seek a meeting with the reclusive Minister for Housing Hon Michael Sukkar MP.
As is often the case when prowling the parliament we bumped into some colleagues, specifically Alan Kirkland from CHOICE and Michele O’Neil, the President of the ACTU.
Pictured below: Adrian Pisarski (National Shelter), Michelle McKenzie (Shelter WA), Wendy Hayhurst (CHIA), Michele O'Neil (ACTU) and Alan Kirkland (Choice).
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