Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A very competitive German once said that history repeats itself—first time as tragedy, second time as farce. Karl Marx was wrong about very many things but, if he was looking at the recent collapse of construction firm St Hilliers—which was contracted by the New South Wales government to complete some affordable housing schemes—he would say this is indeed a farce. You might forgive the New South Wales government for getting it wrong once but to stuff it up twice, which is what has happened in the St Hilliers collapse, is an absolute disgrace.

Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Three times.

Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I see the member for Gilmore opposite waving her hands around. We are seeing not only the subcontractors who are contracted to engage in these projects being done out of money—and many of them are out of pocket for thousands and thousands of dollars—but at the basis of this scheme has been the New South Wales government sticking its hand out and saying, 'We can build this affordable housing.' In my electorate, Throsby, and in the Illawarra and New South Wales this housing is much needed. So not only do we have the contractors who are out of pocket because the New South Wales government has stuffed it up, but we also have the low- and middle-income earners and the people on welfare benefits in the Illawarra without access to this muchneeded affordable housing. I condemn the New South Wales government—in particular Minister Pearce—for trying to shoot the blame for this terrible collapse home to the federal government when it was they who stuffed it up.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms AE Burke): In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. I am not sure the member for Throsby's language is parliamentary, but he is going to get away with it this time.