Gippsland › Latest news › Martin Cameron MP

Martin Cameron slams Andrews Labor government for inaction on Latrobe Valley housing crisis urging action and accountability

Martin Cameron condemns Andrews Labor government's lack of action on the Latrobe Valley housing crisis, pointing to increasing homelessness and vacant properties, urging immediate action.

By news@gippsland - 2nd August 2023 - Back to News

The Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, has slammed the Andrews Labor government for its "shameful arrogance and inaction" on the housing crisis sweeping the Latrobe Valley. Speaking to a notice of motion moved by the Minister for Housing in Parliament today, Mr Cameron questioned Labor's claims it was delivering 12,000 new social and affordable housing homes.

Martin Cameron criticises Andrews Labor governments inaction on Latrobe Valley's housing crisis and questions their promise of 12,000 new homes

Housing crisis neglect

Mr Cameron said, "Labor has very proudly spruiked its Big Housing Build, and the Deputy Premier told us yesterday on several occasions that the Minister for Housing was 'very busy', as if it's some badge of honour. Clearly the Minister is too busy to cast an eye east of Pakenham to see how dire the housing crisis is in my electorate of Morwell, because if he did there is no way he could stand up with any conviction or integrity and claim to be addressing the crisis this government has created."

"Housing is by far the most frequent issue raised with my office, and every day we deal with people who are at their wits' end, at their most vulnerable, pleading for help because they have nowhere to live and have been failed by the Andrews Labor government."

"There is no way of understanding how pervasive and wicked the problem is unless you're on the ground, and I implore the Minister and the Premier to visit my electorate to see the confronting reality of the housing crisis facing the Latrobe Valley," he said.

Rising homelessness crisis

Mr Cameron also said, "Data from the Council to Homeless Persons shows homelessness in the Valley has increase 85 per cent in the five years to 2021, and this data doesn't even account for the huge number of people and families who are sleeping in their cars or couch surfing. 2783 people in the Latrobe local government area accessed specialised homelessness services last financial year - more than any other region in Victoria."

"Even more frustrating is the fact that constituents have visited my office to report vacant properties across the Valley - some of which have been built by Homes Victoria for the purpose of social housing - yet they are incomprehensibly sitting empty while people are sleeping on the streets.

"It is an absolute disgrace that we have a Minister and a Premier who purport to care about Victorians while happily ignoring the thousands of people who are homeless due to no fault of their own. These people are not victims of circumstance, they are victims of the Andrews Labor government and its shameful arrogance and inaction," Mr Cameron said.

Pictures from Melina Bath MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com