Page 1871 - Week 09 - Thursday, 19 October 1989
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are often from disadvantaged backgrounds, emotionally troubled and with a lot of problems, not to have that very important guiding hand and shoulder to cry on when they need it. Kids in that situation need some form of supervision. It does not have to be full-time supervision, but they need supervision. They need a guiding hand.
When I asked a question in relation to this issue yesterday, Mrs Grassby replied: "No way will we put 16- year-olds into houses without supervision". I was very pleased to hear that and I certainly hope that she follows through on that. She could not tell me how many households would be linked to an existing network of supervision provided by community groups as a result of the 30 houses that are being provided. I look forward to receiving that information because I think that is very important. Again on this point, I stress the need for young people to be in houses where they are supervised.
Finally, I wish to make one major point about the housing review. I am pleased to see the Government adopt some Liberal policies, although it has not got them quite right. I refer to the provision of stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers and also mortgage relief. I am pleased to see the Government has taken notice of what we have been saying in relation to that and what has occurred in other States.
In relation to the stamp duty, though, I wonder how far it really will go. The Government has indicated it will provide a full exemption up to $90,000 on a dwelling for a first home buyer. That will cover probably the majority of homes which first home buyers are likely to purchase. Unfortunately that is income-tested and the upper limit of the income test is $33,000 taxable income for a household. I am worried - and I have asked the Minister to get me those figures - about the percentage of first home buyers that will actually cover.
I am also interested to see, on page 7 of the housing review, the proposals for the Government setting up its rental bond trust and the fidelity guarantee fund. Now it would seem - and this is consistent with an answer the Minister gave me to a question in the Estimates Committee - that income from those two bodies would not necessarily be used to cover the first home buyers scheme; rather that would come from revenue.
Indeed, let us look at what this guarantee fund will be used for. Apart from providing compensation to those who suffer a loss as a result of a real estate business or stock and station agent being unable to account for moneys held in the trust account, the moneys will be used to improve landlord and tenant relations, to provide information on the rights and obligations of both landlord and tenant, to provide education and assistance to industry on residential real estate and to meet the costs of dispute settling and administration. Nothing in relation to that or indeed on page 7 in relation to the rental bond trust -
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