Page 79 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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The Rally is very concerned about the problems of housing and, in particular, homeless youth. We welcome the reprioritisation of funding within the ACT Housing Trust to ensure that homeless youth are not out on the streets in this city at 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 am and then double-bunking at the Ainslie Hostel and other areas whilst rather prissy amendments and conversions are going on to existing government housing projects.
The Rally believes that justice must direct the Chief Minister in all that she does in this Territory. The Rally believes and supports the call for equal opportunity legislation for women in particular in this Territory. There are profound problems for women in the Territory, stemming from the Y-plan, meaning that many women who are house-bound, particularly in Tuggeranong and the outer reaches of Belconnen, are unable to find part-time work in this city. Planning is directly related to the position of women in this Territory, and planning must reflect this. The Rally has considerable compunctions about the Gungahlin proposal on that basis alone, of the position of women in this Territory.
The Rally, as I said again, Mr Speaker, wishes to retain the leasehold system in the Territory and is devoted to ensuring that there is, to the extent that it can be achieved, an accountable government, a government that allows accountability in all of its modes, including the criminal law. The criminal law, as my colleague and, hopefully I will be able to say in future, my friend, the Liberal leader Mr Kaine has said, needs amendment. The Magistrates Court is scandalously overworked. Urgent attention needs to be given by this Government to the staffing and facilities of the Canberra Magistrates Court.
The Rally is concerned about a number of prime issues in this Territory. It is concerned to see that we do not have in this Territory organised crime at a national level, and it will work, as one of its planks, to oppose the introduction of a casino in this Territory until problems relating to organised crime are fully investigated and resolved to the satisfaction of the majority of the people of the ACT, expressed hopefully through a referendum.
The Rally looks to the continuing comfort and security of the people of the ACT from our economic base. It looks to a very strong performance from the Chief Minister in financial negotiations with the Commonwealth, particularly to do with issues affecting the interest and economic consumer price index base of this Territory.
The Rally is well aware that retailing in the ACT is reaching a crisis point. One strong reason that retailing is in crisis in this Territory, Mr Speaker, is the rental base in this Territory. In this chamber, at another time, the Rally will be making considered suggestions for protection for commercial tenants in this Territory. The Chief Minister alluded in her address to protection for
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