Labor has failed to explain why it split the housing portfolio into two levels of ministerial responsibility, just one year after Julia Gillard consolidated the housing and social housing and homelessness portfolios into one ministry and announced in a media release that this would “ensure a stronger focus on this issue in the future”.

Today’s speech by Housing Minister Brendan O’Connor revealed nothing new and just used more spin and cherry-picking of statistics to paper over the fact that 17 per cent more people were homeless in 2011 according to the ABS Census than in 2006.

Joint statement with the Hon. Kevin Andrews MP, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services:

Today’s ABS Census 2011 figures showing a 17 per cent increase in the number of people classed as homeless, from 89,728 in 2006 to 105,237 in 2011, is not only a profoundly disappointing outcome for Australians in need of a roof over their heads, but further evidence that Labor’s much-vaunted “war on homelessness” is failing.

Labor needs to show leadership on national homelessness targets and stop blaming state governments for slow progress on the goal of halving homelessness when its own fiscal recklessness is jeopardising future funding for the sector.