Page 3721 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
reiterated, it is essentially a machinery Bill. It reiterates the commitment that the Labor Party has shown, both in government and in opposition - demonstrated most clearly in opposition by our amendments to the Subordinate Laws Act - to increase the Assembly's control over legislation, that at the end of the day it is the Assembly that has the final say over the laws of the Territory. We had a position - a somewhat anomalous position - where certain determinations made under the housing assistance legislation were not reviewable by this Assembly. The Labor Government took the view that that was inappropriate, and this legislation was introduced.
Without entering into a sort of partisan squabble, I would want to take some exception to Mr Jensen's comments or concerns that the Housing Trust in the Territory is in some risk or danger of developing a ghetto mentality. I think that was his phrase.
Mr Jensen: I never said that at all.
MR CONNOLLY: No. You did, indeed, say "ghetto mentality" and that it needed to be avoided. The ACT Housing Trust, I think, has a very proud reputation compared to public housing authorities in other States, particularly in New South Wales and Victoria, of avoiding that. There are people who study urban development and look at these issues. In particular I think of Professor Hugh Stretton, whose seminal work Ideas for Australian Cities remains the inspiration for people who look at public housing reforms and better ways of delivering social housing.
Stretton looks at the ACT and the example of the ACT Housing Trust, which was modelled very much on the South Australian Housing Trust, as a public housing authority which has always consciously avoided developing public housing ghettos. To the extent that we had block developments that were inappropriate, it is a proud record of the first Labor Government, at the time of my colleague Mrs Grassby, that one of the most difficult blocks or ghettos, to use Mr Jensen's term, was done away with.
While perhaps it is appropriate to warn, as Mr Jensen has done, we should recall that the Housing Trust in the ACT has always been very conscious of that need to avoid so-called public housing ghettos and it has, in general, done a very good job and continues to do so. I am pleased that members have no quibble with the legislation, and I wish it a speedy passage.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .