Page 2710 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 1994
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Schedule - Part II - Detailed Appropriations
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (3.14): Madam Speaker, I rise to make a couple of comments in relation to the issues that have been raised as part of the Estimates Committee report on the Appropriation Bill 1994-95. First of all, I want to refer to the questions raised in paragraph 4.92 relating to rental bonds. I think that Mr Cornwell needs to reread the transcript of the Estimates Committee and what that section was referring to, in order to reacquaint himself - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry; there has been an element of confusion on my part, Mr Lamont. We have to go through this division by division. Does the speech you wish to make refer to Division 10, the ACT Legislative Assembly? There is no question before the house.
Ms Follett: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The question before the house surely is: That the report of the Select Committee on Estimates be noted.
MADAM SPEAKER: No. We have passed the question: That this Bill be agreed to in principle. We are into the detail stage of the Appropriation Bill. That is my advice.
MR LAMONT: My understanding is that there is a cognate debate on the Bill and the Estimates Committee report.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is correct. That means that you may refer to the Estimates Committee report when it comes to your part of the consideration in the detail stage. You may seek leave to make a statement now.
MR LAMONT: Madam Speaker, I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the Bill currently before the house.
Leave granted.
MR LAMONT: Thank you. Mr Cornwell once again appears to have it wrong. Mr Cornwell needs to look at the transcript of the Estimates Committee and to understand what was being discussed in relation to paragraph 4.92 in the Estimates Committee report. I do, however, wish to place on record my apology, which I have conveyed to Mr Cornwell in writing, in relation to a briefing that was to have been provided to Mr Cornwell. I understand that a briefing was provided to Mr Moore and Ms Szuty on that question some time ago, and for some reason it was not provided to Mr Cornwell, as had been my understanding.
A matter that he raised is referred to in paragraph 4.97 of the Estimates Committee report under the heading "Vacated Arrears". As the name implies, "vacated arrears" refers to a person who was a Housing Trust client and who left, owing money, generally without leaving a forwarding address. It is somewhat difficult, I contend, to have that information contained within the database of information held by the Housing Trust.
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