Andrew Wilkie grills Julie Collins in federal parliament over funding levels for Tasmanian housing

Tasmanian MPs have gone head to head in federal parliament on Wednesday, with member for Clark Andrew Wilkie and Housing Minister Julie Collins clashing over housing funding.

Andrew Wilkie and Julie Collins

Tasmanian MPs have gone head to head in federal parliament on Wednesday, with member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, accusing Housing Minister and member for Franklin, Julie Collins, of attempting to mislead parliament during a response on housing and homelessness resourcing.

Mr Wilkie used Question Time to ask his electoral next-door neighbour why she was overseeing what he claimed was the biggest proportional funding decline for housing of any Australian state.

“Minister, despite all the Federal Government talk about doubling housing and homelessness funding, funding for Tasmania will in fact decline this year under the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness, from $38.1m to $37.4m,” Mr Wilkie said.

“Minister I’m sure you understand the dire housing situation in Tasmania as well as I do.

“How on earth could you let this happen?”

Minister Collins told parliament that she shared Mr Wilkie’s concerns about homelessness in their home state, and for Tasmanians struggling with housing challenges.

Federal Minister Julie Collins in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

But Ms Collins said that the inference of Mr Wilkie’s question did not accurately reflect the reality of the Federal Government’s financial support for housing solutions in Tasmania.

“No state or territory is going backwards in funding under the new agreement, none,” Ms Collins said.

“And that is not including all of the additional money … that we are having as part of our $32bn Homes for Australia plan.

“I have been working very closely with the Tasmanian State Government, and since our election we’ve provided more than $145m to Tasmania for homelessness services and to build more homes.

“So Tasmania will be getting our fair share, let me assure you of that, as well as other states and territories.”

During the Minister’s response, Mr Wilkie raised a point of order, alleging Ms Collins was “attempting to mislead the parliament” in her answer.

But Speaker Milton Dick ruled that such suggestions were not allowed under the parliamentary standing orders, and successfully requested that Mr Wilkie withdraw his comments.

Upon resuming her response, Ms Collins said she would be happy to meet with Mr Wilkie to discuss the funding figures, and explain to him that Tasmania would not be receiving less overall support in the coming year.

“I’m also happy to advise the Member for Clark that 25,000 Tasmanians will be benefiting from an increase in commonwealth rent assistance ... and since the last election, the Albanese Labor Government has also supported now 1500 Tasmanians into homeownership through our expanded and improved home guarantee scheme.

“I’ll continue to work with the Tasmanian Government to deliver more homes for Tasmanians who need them.”