A historic day for Tasmania as state’s housing debt waived

EDITORIAL: The announcement that the Federal Government will waive the state’s housing debt is the direct result of a front page demand made by the Mercury on June 20 of this year.

Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar, right, and director of housing services at CatholicCare Ben Wilson during Mr Sukkar’s visit to Hobart on June 20.

HERE are two key take-outs from the historic confirmation that Tasmania’s housing debt will be waived: first, that newspapers remain just as relevant as ever; and second, that senators are at their best when they focus on standing up for their state.

The announcement that Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar will make on Sunday that will see an additional $19 million a year spent on building public houses and on homelessness support in Tasmania each and every year is the direct result of a front page demand made by the Mercury on June 20 of this year.

FEDS SET TO WAIVE STATE’S HOUSING DEBT

It was on that day that the newspaper made a bold request of Minister Sukkar, who was visiting Hobart. On a full black background, we wrote these words: “Hundreds of Tasmanians slept rough last night. Thousands more, including many families with kids, are meanwhile stuck on waiting lists for public housing that is yet to be built. Today, a man arrives in Tasmania who can do something about it. Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar can waive a debt that costs us millions in wasted interest payments. And so to him, our ask is simple: Help.”

The front page of the Mercury, July 20, 2019.

The striking front page not only dominated the newsstands across Tasmania that day, but was shared widely on social media here and on the mainland. And Minister Sukkar was quick to respond: within hours he had offered to consider waiving the debt.

It might well have ended there, however — with just some placatory words from a visiting politician to a local newspaper. But one of the many who noticed that front page was newly re-elected Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie. She was so taken by the plea that a fortnight later she used the waiving of the $149.6 million debt as the price of her vote in favour of the Federal Government’s tax cuts package.

“Lambie Genie,” the headline on our front page of July 4 read, with the kicker: “Jacqui to force Feds to grant our wish on house debt.”

Senator Lambie told the Mercury in an exclusive interview (during which she also credited the newspaper with the idea): “I have basically said if the Government wants to help higher income earners they need to help us. This is what I want done and I expect it to be ironed out within the next six to eight weeks. I expect that out of goodwill they will come through.”

Well, that was nine weeks ago. And on Sunday Minister Sukkar will stand in Launceston and announce that the debt will be wiped. We assume the money the State Government has been spending servicing that debt will be tied to spending on homelessness services and on building new public houses. (Housing Tasmania chief executive Peter White last month told Parliament’s housing inquiry it “would equate to around 80 to 100 homes per annum”.)

This is a huge win for the Tasmanian community, and particularly for those who are doing it tough in today’s housing market crisis — the reporting of which the Sunday Tasmanian and the Mercury has been leading the way on for the past couple of years.

This big win for Tassie is just the latest example from the Mercury’s 165-year history of what can be achieved when a newspaper takes a bold stand in support of its community — and when the politicians take note, and use their power and influence to respond. Senator Lambie has meanwhile shown what can actually be achieved when senators do their job, which is literally — by definition — to stand up for their state’s interests in Canberra.