Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Franklin and all four Tasmanian members who have spoken today on this important issue. As the new Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, I do take the issue very seriously, and I want to work in a bipartisan way to ensure that we can do better for people not just in Tasmania but right across the country. I've had the chance to get out into my own electorate and have a much better look at this space not just in my seat of Petrie in Queensland but in neighbouring seats. Last week, I was down in New South Wales looking at some of the good projects around community housing that City West Housing Trust have been doing and at Bridge Housing, who have now taken up a new NHFIC loan. Next week, for the start of Homelessness Week, I will be in Tasmania. I will be keen to engage with stakeholders down there—

Ms Collins interjecting—

Including the member for Franklin. I'm very happy, as I say, to work in a bipartisan way and see whether we can get better results over this next term of parliament.

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