Page 1885 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
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HOUSING ASSISTANCE ACT - DETERMINATION NO. 68 OF 1992
Motion for Disallowance
Debate resumed from 13 August, on motion by Mr Cornwell:
That the determination of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, as contained in Determination No. 68 of 1992 and made under the Housing Assistance Act 1987, be disallowed.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (11.00): Madam Speaker, in the MPI debate yesterday, when we were not graced with the Opposition's presence, Mr Moore made some comments, with which I vigorously disagreed, saying that there is not a lot of difference between the two major parties at the Federal level. The SAAP program demonstrates more than any other program what a difference a Labor government can make.
The supported accommodation assistance program has been one of the milestones of social reform in the last 10 years. Since it was introduced in the ACT it has grown from a program with a budget of $2.4m, supporting some 16 outlets, to a program with a budget of $5.73m for 25 outlets, supporting 441 beds for people who otherwise would have enormous difficulty finding accommodation. The Liberal Party are keen to talk about the market and the private sector and market choice, but for many in our society the market does not provide real choice. We believe that the community, through the Commonwealth Government and the State governments, should intervene to provide supported accommodation.
Mr Cornwell's proposal would strike down regulations which have been made, in effect, taking money away from Consolidated Revenue and putting it into the Housing Trust trust account in order to fund supported accommodation programs. If this motion were passed by this Assembly or, because of the automatic disallowance introduced by Labor in opposition, if this Assembly does not consciously reject Mr Cornwell's proposal, SAAP services in the ACT would shut down because the money to fund them would be taken away.
I am appalled that this is the only place in Australia where the Liberal Party has seen it appropriate to make a consolidated attack on supported accommodated programs. Mr De Domenico interjected with some glee yesterday to tell us that he thought the local Liberals were the most conservative they had ever been. That is absolutely right. It shows beyond a doubt that this local Liberal Party is taking for itself a position of an extraordinarily conservative nature and is attacking a program and a service which have worked well around Australia under Liberal and Labor governments alike and which provide funding for accommodation services for people who otherwise would not find housing.
Probably the Liberal Party in its rhetoric would tend to think that these SAAP programs are run by a bunch of radicals, a bunch of bolshies, and are therefore suspect. St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army are the sorts of organisations who benefit through SAAP. Every SAAP organisation is subject to stringent accountability requirements through SAAP and through the legal instruments of their incorporation. The job performed by the service is a difficult one, helping
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