Page 2021 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I do not propose to address that aspect. I want to talk within my portfolio areas of responsibility about what we have achieved. But, before I do that, let me tell Mr Berry, through you, Mr Speaker, that the Rally will be back here in 1992. It will be very clear within a very short period of time how divided this Labor group is and where their Federal colleagues will be consigned at the next election.
In the area of housing and community services, as soon as the Commonwealth-State housing agreement was opened for signing - the agreement which controls the whole fabric of public housing - we as a government moved to sign it. We were the first State or Territory to do that. We did that within days of its being open for signature. That was done in the interests of the people of the ACT.
Further, we implemented a series of housing accommodation schemes, not least of which are those directed towards young singles under the singles share accommodation scheme. Further, we prepared, redrafted and released our coordinated responses to the Burdekin inquiry into homeless children. We have appointed a youth housing officer to coordinate and improve the delivery of housing assistance to young people. We have released a keynote discussion paper for community comment, outlining a range of proposed initiatives to expand housing options for older people.
If you believe the Alliance Government is falling into disrepute or in any way falling out of public favour, I draw your attention, Mr Deputy Speaker, to the range of meetings being held by persons of an older generation in Canberra in relation to that community discussion paper dealing with the very important concerns of their future housing options.
We have also established in the housing area, which deals with the fabric of society and the subject of this matter of public importance, a policy cell to ensure continuation of a program of housing policy review and evaluation of public housing assistance programs. We have prepared a draft joint Territory-Commonwealth rental assistance plan, as required under the CSHA. This plan has been discussed with a wide range of community representatives.
Further, we are progressing work in a whole range of areas, a number of which I discussed last week with Federal Minister Brian Howe and other housing Ministers in Australia and New Zealand. They cover a whole range of tenant participation issues, a tenants bond protection scheme, a progressive equity participation scheme, a chance for people to find accessible and affordable housing, a basic, fundamental task that the Follett-Whalan Government did not tackle for favour of their own agenda, which was principally in a number of big business areas.
We are looking at a number of schemes with financial institutions regarding the establishment of a private
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .