Page 1577 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 May 1990
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Mrs Grassby asked why we, the Alliance Government, had delayed the Commonwealth-State housing agreement. Let the record show that the ACT could not enter into the agreement until the Commonwealth passed its legislation, which did not happen until February this year. I recall a completely mendacious press release shortly after we took government - I believe it was from Mrs Grassby - saying that we had failed to sign the agreement, when we could not because it was not an instrument of law that we could sign. Trevor Kaine and I were the first two government Ministers, to my knowledge, in this country to sign it. How is that? Right?
Now, the Alliance housing policy also commits - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker; I think the interpretation of "mendacious" has been raised in this place before and members were asked to withdraw a reference to other members in relation to that word. The same accusation has just been made by Mr Collaery against Mrs Grassby and I would ask him to withdraw it.
MR COLLAERY: I certainly withdraw it. I stand corrected. I believed it had been let through. I put the word "misleading".
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think it might have been the first time but I think it was used again and it was then withdrawn.
MR COLLAERY: I was under the impression that it had entered the language of the Assembly. Mr Deputy Speaker, the Government is committed to establishing a rental bond trust, and that is being developed by the Consumer Affairs Bureau in the context of wider tenancy law reform which I will bring to the attention of the house in due course.
The work of the housing policy review is continuing. Staff have been working on better integrating housing issues of the Burdekin report with community service programs under the bureau. As many of the community groups know, there have been significant initiatives under the SAAP proposals, for instance. We have developed an assault on homelessness. We increased the funding to the youth sector in that homeless area by 20 or more per cent as soon as we came to government - as soon as we came to government - and let the record show that.
The Chief Minister contemporaneously promised a review of aged persons housing. That review is nearing completion too. As my colleague Mr Duby has said, the progressive equity participation scheme which is in our policy to implement will proceed as quickly as possible. I am also working on a ministerial statement for the next session of the Assembly which will set the agenda for the Government's housing policy for the next two years. There are a few other points, Mrs Grassby. You did not implement the singles share accommodation scheme. The first three tenancies were signed yesterday.
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