Page 122 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 9 February 2022
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services, services for older people, abuse and neglect of vulnerable people, services for children and young people, services for people with disability, and the charter of rights for victims of crime. In considering complaints where the respondent is a government agency or other public authority, the Discrimination, Health Services and Disability and Community Services Commissioner can consider the human rights obligations of those organisations in seeking to resolve complaints and in making recommendations for service improvements.
The Government is currently undertaking work on a number of priority areas relating to human rights, which were commitments made in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement for the 10th Legislative Assembly. These priority areas include a commitment to review the Discrimination Act; and considering the introduction of a right to a healthy environment into the Human Rights Act. The Government is also committed to establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner to better protect the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
The Government’s view is that expanding access to remedies under the Human Rights Act merits consideration, and may contribute to the human rights culture in the Territory. The Government notes, however, that proposals put forward in the petition to expand complaints mechanisms under the Human Rights Act would have financial implications and require more detailed policy consideration.
The Government welcomes the referral of this petition to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety into this issue, and the potential consideration of these issues by the Committee.
Housing ACT—Gordon—petition 44-21
By Ms Vassarotti, Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services, dated 8 February 2022, in response to a petition lodged by Ms Lawder on 10 November 2021, concerning antisocial tenants in Gordon.
The response read as follows:
Dear Mr Duncan
Thank you for your letter dated 10 November 2021, regarding petition 44-21 lodged by Ms Nicole Lawder MLA. The petition calls on the Government to:
Immediately remove the tenants from our community.
The concerns outlined in the petition are noted.
The ACT Government (Housing ACT) is the largest social landlord with a portfolio of approximately 11,500 properties. The vast majority of social housing tenants successfully sustain their tenancies. For those tenants who require additional support, Housing ACT works closely with a range of community agencies to provide these supports.
The Government does acknowledge that where there are ongoing breaches of a tenancy agreement that it can have significant impacts on the community. As a
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