A Victorian Liberal MP is under fire for saying there was "no point" putting social housing in affluent suburbs where children from low-income families "cannot mix" with other children.
Shadow housing minister Wendy Lovell's comments have drawn a rebuke from the government and forced her party leader to apologise on her behalf.
Ms Lovell, who was housing minister under the Baillieu and Napthine governments, was speaking during debate in parliament over a Greens bill to end homelessness by 2030.
"It's no point putting a very low income, probably welfare-dependent family in the best street in Brighton where the children cannot mix with the other [children], or cannot go to school with the other children," she said.
"We've got to make sure that people can actually fit into a neighbourhood and that they have a good life and that people are not stigmatising them because of their circumstances."
Housing minister Richard Wynne said the comments were "an absolute disgrace".
"She ought to go into parliament today and apologise," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"This particular development in Brighton that she refers to is a redevelopment of some of our oldest concrete public housing walk-up flats, which are well past their use-by date."
Ms Lovell would not answer directly this morning when asked outside parliament whether the comments were insensitive.
"I think that public housing should be for those that need it and it should be in areas where people actually get a good opportunity," Ms Lovell said.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said Ms Lovell was "trying to find the best intention" but her comments were poorly phrased.
"Social housing in my view should be available to people who need it and that's the be all and end all, postcode doesn't matter."
Labor MP Mark Gepp, who grew up in public housing, told parliament Ms Lovell should resign.
"I think it is a bloody disgrace that in 2022 anyone would walk into this place and argue for segregation—segregation based on your socio-economic position in our society,'' Mr Gepp said.
"It is offensive to everybody who is in social housing today, in community housing, those on waiting lists, those that need us in this place to put our heads together to come up with the solutions that enable them to have a decent standard of liveability."
Shadow Treasurer's behaviour questioned
Ms Lovell wasn't the only Liberal MP occupying Mr Guy's attention after concerns were raised about the behaviour of Shadow Treasurer David Davis at an event on Saturday night.
Mr Davis was asked to leave the event because he'd had too much to drink.
Mr Guy said he's spoken to Mr Davis about his behaviour and sought an assurance that there would be no repeat.
"He wouldn't be the first politician to commit this sin and I'm sure he's not the last one to commit this sin," Mr Guy said.
"He's apologised for it, that's the right thing to do. I've expressed my disappointment to him about it, I consider the matter then concluded."
