Newman government officially wipes its hands of homelessness

Media Release.

Shadow Housing Minister Jo-Ann Miller says the Newman Government has today carried out one its cruellest cuts, officially refusing to accept federal funds to keep open the essential support organisation the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service.

Mrs Miller said Housing Minister Tim Mander – who clearly had no idea of the critical role TAAS performed in keeping vulnerable Queenslanders in housing – had doomed the organisation by refusing to accept the federal government’s $2.5 million funding offer.

“He has officially consigned TAAS – along with the people who rely on it and the people who staff it – to the dust bin,” Mrs Miller said.

“This is a deliberately cruel and callous act. This is funding that would have kept TAAS offices throughout Queensland opened for the next six months after the Newman government slashed the organisation’s funding and the federal government stepped in."

“The TAAS service provides a vital frontline service to the community that no other organisation in Queensland offers but clearly Mr Mander does not understand this."

“You need only look at his comments in relation to TAAS to see he does not have a clue about the services that it provides."

“Mr Mander has said he is a bricks-and-mortar Minister when it comes to solving our social housing problems of this state. But why is it that he has not made public his decision to sign the Commonwealth National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness for 2013/14 earlier this week?"

“And why is it that the Minister continues to play politics and refuses to accept the $2.5 million on offer by the federal government to continue the TAAS service?"

“Mr Mander’s argument that he would rather spend $2.5 million on its homelessness plan is hypocritical, as the TAAS service supports people to remain in their accommodation and not become homeless."

“You only have to look at the Premier’s Facebook page to see that this government does not value the importance of TAAS – he says local MPs can duplicate this service because they have copies of the appropriate legislation."

“Every person who has ever used the services of TAAS – in fact any clear-thinking person – understands that is garbage.”

Mrs Miller said the LNP government had today proven that it does not care about battlers.

“To date we have still not seen one piece of evidence to show that the Newman government has a plan to solve homelessness in this state – their only plan is to play politics on a very important issue and that is obscene.”