Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to raise the ongoing concerns of Brisbane residents about the home insulation scheme debacle. One universally recognised form of injustice and cruelty is leaving people in an ongoing state of stressful limbo, unsure of the outcome in their personal situation. The latest phase of the horrendous home insulation debacle is the government’s utter failure to accept or respond to legitimate complaints about its ceiling insulation scheme. No decent response has emanated from the government. They are far from timely and in many cases there is no response at all. The government’s attempt at an answer was to establish an 1800 hotline but, as recent examples highlighted to the House have shown, concerns communicated to this number have been ignored or those with concerns have been told to try the Ombudsman.

Affected residents in my own electorate of Brisbane are aware and genuinely concerned about the ongoing government inaction. They know of the link to house fires, they know of the high estimations of roofs being live with electricity and they have general fear with over 200,000 dodgy and dangerous roofs still remaining unchecked.

My electorate office in Brisbane has received several recent reports from very concerned constituents. The complaints range from the basic to the bizarre. There have been cases highlighting the rip-offs such as where pink batts were installed in a Brisbane residence, were ripped out and moved to a coastal holiday home, allowing for a second round of batts to be installed in the original home at taxpayers’ expense. This scheme initiated pure economic vandalism.

Mr Leeson from Newmarket in Brisbane would not mind a decent night’s sleep. He cannot sleep at night because of the noise from some pesky possums keeping him and his household awake at night. He cannot do anything about it because Peter the possum man will not attend due to the genuine fear that the roof is dangerous and that the foil insulation urgently needs to be inspected. Mr Leeson’s issue is now moving into its 12th month. He contacted the previous member for Brisbane 12 months ago. No inspection has yet occurred. The government’s inaction is not a laughing matter. How would government members feel if they had not had a decent night’s sleep for a year?

Other residents who have witnessed this scheme at its worst have sighted rental vans loaded with pink batts driving up and down streets cold calling residents ready for a series of rushed installation jobs. Now there is a state of confusion. Affected residents are anxious for their homes to be cleared of danger. One Brisbane resident had someone attend his home for an inspection and suddenly the foil disappeared without him being asked for his permission for it to be removed. So he has no insulation at all. He is one of the lucky ones. What a disgrace. (Time expired)