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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2691 ..

MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I would think it would not be difficult. The Commonwealth budget is now down. You were saying earlier that we had to wait for the Commonwealth budget. We now have the Commonwealth budget. I did ask you to confirm that they had prepared a report. I have not had an answer to that. Would you be a bit more open and forthcoming and indicate when you might come out with this detail and tell this Assembly and the people of Canberra?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Wood, I can guarantee that I have seen no reports on the impact of public sector cuts. That is definitely guaranteed.

Mr Wood: You have been talking about it.

MRS CARNELL: I cannot understand how you could possibly do an impact study or finish an impact study on public sector cuts at this stage, when we would not have a clue how many public sector cuts there will be in the ACT. We certainly know from the budget papers that they are planning 10,500 Commonwealth public sector redundancies in that budget. How many of those are in the ACT is still not clear as a result of the Federal budget.

Mr Wood: I take a point of order. I think the Chief Minister needs to go back and read her answers carefully lest she is in danger of misleading this Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

MS HORODNY: My question is to the Minister for Housing, Mr Stefaniak. Mr Stefaniak, it has been brought to our attention by public housing tenants in the inner north of Canberra that they have received letters from ACT Housing in recent weeks indicating that ACT Housing wants them to relocate to make way for redevelopment. The letter gives them a number to ring if they want to talk with someone about it. One Ainslie tenant who rang, angry and distressed, was told that the department was just testing the water. Another Lyneham tenant, who was less strident and indicated that she might be interested in moving to Ainslie, asked whether she would have to move and was told, "Yes", and she was advised that it would be pointless moving to Ainslie because the public housing there was going to be diminishing. Will the Minister please tell us which part of ACT Housing is conducting this survey to find out who is willing to move, what is the process, and what is the rationale behind it?

MR STEFANIAK: Ms Horodny, in relation to the bulk of your question, if you give me the details I will follow that up and find out the information you seek. At present there are tenants who are moving from Condamine Court, to my knowledge, as part of the redevelopment there. They are given the option of going back into the redeveloped Condamine Court or, if they like their new accommodation, some are staying there. As I am somewhat unfamiliar with all of the items you have raised, I will take that on notice and get back to you in relation to the questions you asked.

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