Page 1953 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 June 1994
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Mr Kaine: I do not think you understand the legislation that you are administering, Minister.
MR LAMONT: That is what is being proposed. Mr Kaine, in your position I would get up and leave too.
Mr Kaine: I am just sick of listening to this drivel.
MR LAMONT: Throughout the period the tenant has paid the full non-rebated rent. Mr Moore, once again, 85 per cent, or thereabouts, of Housing Trust tenants pay rebated rent, so this Bill will automatically prohibit 85 per cent of Housing Trust tenants from entering into any form of purchase for a house. I think that on those two points alone this Bill is so obviously flawed that we should not consider it further. It has been on the notice paper and I think this is the third occasion on which it has been debated in this chamber. I believe that we should make it quite clear to Mr Cornwell that we are not prepared to accept these types of changes within the Housing Trust area.
I have no difficulty at all with the suggestion that the sale price be equal to the current market value of the dwelling as determined by independent valuation. Those valuations are normally received by the Housing Trust through a similar process whereby a person who has been a tenant for longer than eight years is able at the moment to seek to purchase the house. This is a system, I would suggest to you, Mr Moore, that has worked extremely well. I, as Minister, have not been made aware of one occasion where the current provisions are seen as draconian or unreasonable in relation to the purchase of Housing Trust stock.
We have already heard considerable debate in relation to what the additional impost on the Housing Trust would be, were it to build a house, sell it five years later, purchase a new one and go through this process again and again. You also have to understand, Mr Moore, that it is for social justice reasons that the Government has housing stock in particular strategic locations. This Bill would create an administrative nightmare for the Housing Trust. Consider the case of a person who has been a tenant in a particular property for five years and has paid the full non-rebated rent. If the Housing Trust turned around and said no, I think you could imagine the type of litigation the trust would find itself in. That, basically, is the position that this Bill would lead us to. I think that on those three fundamental matters this Bill is so flawed that no amendment would work.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Lamont, I have had a message from Hansard. It is very difficult for your words to be picked up.
MR LAMONT: I thought that with my voice most things would - - -
Mr Connolly: He always speaks in such soft, dulcet tones.
MADAM SPEAKER: The rest of us had no problem, Mr Lamont.
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