Western Australia’s Labor government could lose its first vote in the upper house in more than five years this afternoon, with the Greens and conservative opposition teaming up to force a response to a two-year-old homelessness report.
Greens homelessness spokesman Tim Clifford will move a motion in parliament this afternoon calling on the Cook government to report back on the recommendations of the Funding of Homelessness Services in Western Australia report handed down by an upper house committee in June 2023.
The Greens will move a motion in the Upper House later today.Credit: Ross Swanborough
Clifford will also call on the Cook government to recommit to ending homelessness with corresponding funding.
Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, Liberal MLC Nick Gorian, confirmed his team would support the Greens’ motion, which would give it the numbers to pass after Labor lost its majority in the house at the March 8 poll.
If Labor doesn’t support the motion, it will be the first time the party has lost a vote in either house since before the 2021 election. Labor’s leader of the Upper House Stephen Dawson would not be drawn on the party’s position.
The report made 57 recommendations aimed at improving the state’s response to homelessness, including better funding and better-tailored services.
Only three of those were not supported, with most recommendations supported or supported in-principle.
The government has not yet reported back on the implementation of the recommendations it supported.
Goiran said his party would support the motion but move an amendment to place a date on when it wants to see the government report back.
“The time for prevarication by the Cook Labor Government has long passed and it can no longer rely on its total control of both Houses of Parliament,” he said.
“It’s entirely reasonable for the Government to give an account and indeed the Opposition will move an amendment to compel them to provide that response on the first day that Parliament resumes after the winter recess.”
It’s not the first topic the strange political bedfellows have found themselves united on – both the Greens and the opposition are stridently against Labor’s plans for a racetrack in Burswood.
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