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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2674 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Around other parts of Canberra, under our development programs this year there are additional programs for new public housing to provide a better mix for our tenants. I think that is essential. I am a bit worried by this particular motion by Ms Reilly. She does not seem to appreciate that times change. You cannot stay still. I would hate to see us bound by something that meant that 50 per cent of our public housing always had to be three-bedroom homes or that we always had to have 12,349 properties in the ACT - no more, no fewer. That would not give any government any flexibility. It would not service the needs of our tenants properly.

Mr Speaker, there will always be a need in the ACT for public housing. There will always be people in our community who need public housing, who will not be taken up by the private sector. That does not mean to say, however, that there will not be people who cannot be taken up by the private sector under the proposed new arrangements which are yet to be finalised. I do stress that there will always be a need for public housing here - I would think, a significant amount of public housing - but this motion would greatly restrict the ability of this Government or any other government to adequately meet the demands as they occur for proper public housing for its tenants. Situations change; times change; demography changes. We are seeing that now. We are doing our best to ensure that we cater for the needs of our tenants. If this motion were passed, it would restrict a lot their real needs. I would ask members to consider that very carefully when they think about voting for it.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Osborne, before you begin, I would like to welcome to the Assembly students from Kaleen High School who are studying local government. I hope you are enjoying attending this particular session of your Assembly. Welcome.

MR OSBORNE (11.34): I was just talking to Mr Moore about Mr Berry's foreshadowed amendment about moving money around in the budget. How interesting it is that he wants to do it now when he was not prepared to last year when we tried it. It is very different this time because it suits him.

A good public housing system is one of those essential things that we definitely need to provide for the people of Canberra. It is one thing that has kept my office busy. We have had many reasons to discuss things with Housing, with Mr Stefaniak and with his department. Sometimes we have been quite satisfied with the result. Other times we have been quite disappointed. Such is life. I am loath to use the word "hypocritical" in referring to the amendment, but I would find it very hard to support a budgetary amendment such as Mr Berry's, when last year we attempted to do pretty much the same type of thing and were voted out en bloc by the Liberal-Labor coalition. Mr Speaker, I will not be supporting that amendment. I am willing to accept that it is a budgetary decision. As I have said before, the Labor Party, by their actions last year, have made it much easier for me to make my decision on this occasion.

Mr Speaker, I must admit that I was greatly concerned to hear the Minister say yesterday that there are 4,000 Canberrans waiting for public housing. He seemed to think that was okay. He also seemed to think it was okay that there is a six-month waiting list on maintenance for Housing residences. I think that is quite outrageous.

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