Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome this opportunity to speak on the motion by the member for Throsby and, while I share her concerns for those who are homeless, I believe that her call for an increase in federal funding ignores many important issues in this debate. We all recognise that homelessness has a range of causes. No-one becomes homeless because they want to. Marital breakdown, employment difficulties, mental health problems, debt, gambling and addiction can all be causes and, very often, a combination of these factors lead to people becoming homeless.

I suspect that this may be one of those areas, like the health service, where we cannot control the demand for services and demand will always outstrip the resources. Like the health service, it is one of those areas where the federal government provides funding but where the state provides the front-line services. That is, after all, very much the role of our states and territories—delivering front-line services. Again, like the health service, it is one of those areas where prevention is better than cure. I shall return to that theme shortly, but first let us remind ourselves how services for the homeless are currently funded.

Under the previous Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, or SAAP, the federal government provided $833 million, an increase of 18 per cent, or $115 million, on the previous period. Under the current SAAP agreement, which runs for five years and is currently in its second year, the federal government will provide $932 million, an increase of $100 million. I am pleased to say that, within the current agreement, the states and territories will move towards making an equal contribution. I understand that the New South Wales government is in fact already making a matching contribution, and I commend it for that. But if funding is a major problem, as the member for Throsby suggests, then perhaps she will consider an approach to her colleagues in the states and territories to ask them to increase their funding too.

I mentioned earlier some of the causes of homelessness. The federal government has increased the funds available to SAAP and it is attacking the causes directly, with specific projects, and indirectly as well. One example is employment. Since March last year we have seen some 245,000 jobs created in the Australian economy. Unemployment is at a record low. We are actively involved through our skills initiatives to ensure that people of all ages can take advantage of the opportunities now available.

Mental health is an important area. I know from discussions in the backbench committee on health and ageing that the results of the trend towards removing those with mental health problems from institutions and placing them in the community have not always been encouraging and this impacts directly on the numbers of homeless. It is generally agreed that the support that should be available to make this policy a success is delivered by the states and territories, and this has been very much lacking. I acknowledge the efforts made under the mental health strategy to address this problem but, again, what is happening to the funding?

I understand that New South Wales is currently delivering only 60 per cent of its matched funding. Queensland is delivering about half, and three other states and territories are apparently not delivering anything at all. What sort of contribution to tackling one of the very important problems in our community is this? If the performance by the states and territories on matching the federal contribution on homelessness is as poor as their performance on mental health then we are clearly not going to make much progress.

Gambling is another cause of homelessness. I suggest that the states and territories consider putting a levy on their income from gambling and direct it to alleviating the problem of homelessness. I think it is vitally important that the states consider this point; it is a very important one. Rivers of gold are being provided through the proceeds of gambling, which has been attributed as a cause of homelessness, yet there is no direct link with funding. I think that would be a useful initiative that could assist our homeless.

We should always be devoting more funds to tackling problems in our community. Through its increase to SAAP, the federal government is doing that. The states have some considerable way to go. I would like to see them matching that federal government contribution. I would like to see them stepping up to the plate with more effective program delivery so that our terrible problem of homelessness is more adequately addressed and so that the plight of the homeless is relieved.

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