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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1348 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

ACT Housing to be advantaged over any other landlord and that evictions will be undertaken in a way that is helpful, or as helpful, I suppose, as any eviction can be, to a tenant who is being asked to leave any ACT Housing premises. I hope there is time for people to work through the process. I hope that the information that is provided to tenants ensures that they are fully aware of what the process is. Some change will be required to some of those processes when this Bill passes. I hope that people are given that information about the timings that will come about under this Act.

In relation to accepting section 71 and the amendment that is suggested, I will continue to be interested in what happens with evictions. I will bring it to the attention of the house if there are any issues that arise that would cause undue hardship to a tenant who is being evicted. People in that situation - as a number of public tenants are already - do not need additional pressure put on them by unfair processes from ACT Housing.

I suppose one of the best things about looking at the outcome of this Bill and the amendment put up by the Minister for Housing is the welcome and exciting news that the Residential Tenancies Bill will finally be introduced into this house. I was beginning to think this was a myth, or that it was something I had dreamt; but I have seen it on the notice paper. If it turns up on the blue sheet on Thursday, you never know, we might actually see the draft.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Do not pre-empt debate, Ms Reilly.

MS REILLY: I am just sharing glad news, Mr Speaker. I am sorry, Mr Speaker. I just want to share my joy on this possible announcement.

MR SPEAKER: Your apologies are accepted.

MS REILLY: Seriously, it is important that we get good residential tenancy legislation in the ACT. It will benefit all people in the ACT. Not just public or private tenants are affected by that; the whole of the ACT obviously benefits from good legislation. If we had had that legislation, of course, it would not be necessary to have some of the amendments in the Bill that is being presented to us today. On that basis, I am not raising any further objection to the amendment put forward by Mr Stefaniak.

MR MOORE (6.51): Mr Speaker, I thought I would take a moment to say a few words in support of the work that Ms Reilly has done here. The process that led to a compromise on Ms Reilly's legislation is very good. I have some doubts about the amendment put up by Mr Stefaniak and I will be joining Ms Reilly in watching very carefully as this process goes ahead. We do know that it is a relatively short-term process whilst we look at the new legislation that we hope will be tabled at some time in the next three or four months, or six months, or a year or two, or whatever. I know, Mr Speaker, that we are assured it will be tabled this week, but for quite some time we have been assured it is coming this week, this year, or whatever. It seems to me that the outcome of this legislation should still be very positive.

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