1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Change rolling at Kaying or a chief executive's going, board's 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: being refreshed. This all comes after that Bill English report 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: that was scathing of how the operation was run. Are 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: we onto something better here? The former CEO of Monte 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Cecilia Housing Trust, Bernie Smith's back. Well, this is Bernie, 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: very good morning to you. 7 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 2: Good morning Mike. 8 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: How much do you reckon of what kying Or has 9 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: been up to in the last few years was top 10 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: down government's instructed stuff versus the individual people at the 11 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: place running their own program. 12 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: Oh, look at one hundred percent the servants of the government. 13 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 2: So the Housing Minister needs to think blaming one hundred 14 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 2: or eighty percent of what has occurred. In my opinion, Mike, 15 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 2: do you. 16 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: See good change coming with the refreshing of the board, 17 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: a new chief executive and a new outlook. 18 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: I think so. I think the government's onto a good thing. 19 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: And so a new CEO and a new board and 20 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 2: hopefully greater collaboration with the community housing. 21 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: And was that fundamentally what Bill English found in other words, 22 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: by the previous government wanting to do it all themselves, 23 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: locking other people out, that was your problem. That's why 24 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: things never really got. 25 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 2: Sold yeah, I think that was part of the problem. 26 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: We know that the Labor Party was deeply seated within 27 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 2: the Labor Party that the state does at all, whereas 28 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: community housing divids lived and worked in their community and 29 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 2: knew their community, So why weren't they better funded to 30 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: build in their community. 31 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: So you would argue it can be done differently, because 32 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: I know even now that the numbers the q for 33 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: state housing in this country is chronic. You think it 34 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: can be done done better and done more effectively. 35 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: I think. So we've got to move away from a 36 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 2: model where housing managers have got too many properties to manage, 37 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: which isn't the case in community housing providers, where housing 38 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: managers actually get to know their tenants and switched on 39 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 2: to where there might be a problem because they know 40 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: the tenants, rather than the other way around, where they're 41 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,399 Speaker 2: only getting visited when there's issues. 42 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: Was there a distortion in the market in other words, 43 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: kying or are just rolling with a great, big, large 44 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: checkbook and they mucked with the market. And does that 45 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: necessarily change if you take a different approach. 46 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: Oh, certainly. One of my frustrations was that the government 47 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 2: stopped community housing providers buying houses of developers. That's brand 48 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: new constructed homes, and yet they continue to do it themselves, 49 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: and so time and time again, first home owners were 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: locked out of the market because Kyangor came along with 51 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 2: a big checkbook. 52 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: If they do this right, how long before you reckon? 53 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: You can come on this program and go there are 54 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: the seeds of change, and this is why this is 55 00:02:57,760 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: a better approach. How long does that take? 56 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: Well, I think you know, community has and providers are 57 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 2: ready and rearing to go and working in collaboration with 58 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 2: the government. I think we should be able to see 59 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 2: seeds of positivity within the next twelve months. 60 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: Looking forward to it, Bernie, appreciate it very much. Bernie Smith, 61 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: who's the former Monty Cecilia Trust. For more from the 62 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd be 63 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.