Where Do the Victorian Liberals Stand on Public Housing?

The Victorian Liberal Opposition makes it clear they think poorly of Labor’s performance in delivering and managing the public housing sector but how they’ll manage the portfolio needs to be spelled out. 

The previous Bailleau-Napthine Liberal State Government (2011-2014) did not support the public housing system. Under Housing Minister Wendy Lovell, the sector became an easy target, we were gaslit and stigmatised. Apparently, we don’t work – actually a great many of us are employed, save for those on the Disability Support or Aged Pensions. They claimed public rents are unfair because private rents are higher! We were made to feel like a drain on the public purse when in actual fact rental income exceeded costs during those years. 

Image: David Saffin

An SPHC member reached out to the Shadow Housing Minister David Southwick to check the Liberal’s pulse on this crucial portfolio circa 2026, and these are his words: 

 “I share your concerns about Labor’s plan to demolish Victoria’s 44 public housing towers. A decision of this scale must be transparent, properly costed and based on genuine consultation with residents. The Liberals and Nationals would not simply rubber stamp Labor’s plan. If elected, we would review the evidence, contracts, costs and impact on residents before proceeding. Labor’s refusal to be upfront about the basis for this decision is unacceptable. Victorians deserve far greater transparency, particularly when thousands of residents and communities are affected. Public housing must remain part of Victoria’s housing system. Community and affordable housing can play a role, but government should not walk away from its responsibility to vulnerable Victorians. Labor’s approach has created uncertainty for residents. I will continue to advocate for transparency, proper consultation and more secure housing for Victorians who need it.”  

The member for Caulfield also released a brief but damning critique of Labor’s record on delivering public housing: an increase of “just 36 dwellings over the past decade”. But are they going to remedy this dismal scenario or just sell off the assets? 

Should the Liberal Party be elected to government, will they stand by David Southwick’s above assurances or will the privatisation agenda be ramped up even further in a Jekyll and Hyde about-face that would make a mockery of the above assurance: “Public housing must remain part of Victoria’s housing system”? Both major parties need to commit to clearing the waiting list and addressing the extent of Victorian homelessness. They could also hand back planning powers to local councils in order to prevent needless demolitions. We need a massive construction boom in genuine public housing instead of a warped agenda to offload the housing and disperse the communities.