Liberal MP under fire for ‘postcode snobbery’

A Liberal MP who suggested poor people shouldn’t mix with wealthy neighbours in Brighton has been slammed for her “exceptionally clumsy” remarks.

Liberal MP Wendy Lovell has defended her “absolutely shameful” comments that social housing children shouldn’t be placed in affluent areas, with the Premier blasting attempts to clarify the view as “pathetic”.

Ms Lovell came under fire after she said low-income families being placed in the “best street in Brighton where the children cannot mix”.

Victoria’s upper house was on Wednesday night debating a homelessness Bill put forward by the Greens when Ms Lovell made the comments about affordable housing.

“We also need to make sure that we put those properties in areas where families are accepted and where families can flourish,” she said at the time.

“There is no point putting a very low income, probably welfare-dependent family in the best street in Brighton where the children cannot mix with others 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.”

Ms Lovell says children from ‘welfare-dependent’ families would struggle to fit in with their wealthy Brighton peers because they don’t wear the right shoes. Picture: Tony Gough

The statement drew a strong reaction from the crossbench and the government, with Labor MP Mark Gepp attacking the words in his own speech.

“Go back and read the transcript. If you want to know what you said, go back and read the transcript, because everybody in this place heard it loudly and clearly,” he said.

“Because those people are different. Yes, they are different. They do not wear the right shoes. ‘Oh, we don’t want the kids to be teased because they have got a Samsung phone instead of an iPhone.

“Well, bollocks to that, because your position on the socioeconomic ladder should never determine your participation in this society under any circumstances. Shame on you for suggesting that it should.”

Ms Lovell on Thursday stood by her comments.

“I think that public housing should be for those who need it and it should be in areas where people actually get a good opportunity to get a good life,” she said.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy defended Ms Lovell’s comments, saying he believed they were well-meaning but “exceptionally clumsy”.

“I think Wendy means well and made some exceptionally clumsy remarks in talking about stigmatisation, and they are exceptionally clumsy,” 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.”

Wendy Lovell is standing by her ‘exceptionally clumsy’ remarks.

Premier Daniel Andrews blasted Ms Lovell’s social housing comments as “absolutely shameful”.

“I reject in the clearest terms the Liberal Party’s view that poor people should be kept poor, and that poor people should be kept away,” he said.

“That is wrong. That is fundamentally wrong. These comments are just shameful.”

Mr Andrews accused the Liberal Party of carrying out “some pretty pathetic attempts to try and explain this away” by arguing that Ms Lovell “meant well” by her comments.

“No she didn’t. She doesn’t mean well at all. You can’t say those things and then double down on it again today if you mean well,” he said.

“It’s not appropriate and it may be news to Ms Lovell, but the only way we as a state reach our potential is if every Victorian reaches theirs.

“The notion that the wealth of a suburb should determine whether you are allowed to go there is just nonsense. We don’t run our schools like that, we don’t run our communities like that and it’s a good thing we don’t.”

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said the issue of housing impacted every Victorian.

“Those comments by Ms Lovell were really offensive, and unfortunately perpetuate these really misguided stereotypes about who lives in public housing and who lives in social housing,” she said.

“People who live in public and social housing are all of us. They’re the tens of thousands of Victorians on the waiting list for housing who are locked out of the exorbitant housing market that we’re now seeing.

“That’s why this is a social justice and equity issue in Victoria. It’s going to affect our young people mostly and our next generation so it’s really important that we get this right.”

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam says the issue of housing impacts all Victorians. Picture: Paul Jeffers

Education Minister James Merlino said there was no question that children from social housing could attend schools in suburbs like Brighton and not struggle to fit in.

“These comments are nothing short of disgraceful from Wendy Lovell,” he said.

“This is a reflection of the Liberal party in Victoria. This is what they think. To stand up and say that in parliament, I think everyone in the Victorian community would take a very dim view of those comments.”

Senior government minister Jacinta Allan added: “This is just a disgrace, not just the speech, but it reflects the values set … around how members of the Liberal party think people in public housing should be treated. It’s just disgraceful.”

Housing Minister Richard Wynne also attacked the comments in a response to the Herald Sun.

“This is an appalling example of the Liberal Party’s postcode snobbery,” he said.

“Matthew Guy should step in and apologise … Not just on behalf of the Liberal Party, he should apologise to all those who have lived in public housing.”