Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2929 ..

Ms McRae: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister did not appoint this person. This is an independent organisation that appointed a person. What relevance has this, even if the Minister paid the salary? The Minister did not comment on anyone that ACTCOSS appointed, and ACTCOSS is paid for by the Government. I do not see the relevance, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: The Minister was not asked about ACTCOSS.

Ms McRae: No, Mr Speaker, but I am pointing to the principle that you are referring to. Yes, the funding was given to this organisation. My point of relevance is that the Minister personally had nothing to do with this appointment. It is not his responsibility. I do not see the relevance.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, might I address you on that point of order? If what Ms McRae says is true and members cannot ask questions about how public money is used to appoint particular people, equally the Assembly could not ask about what was spent on the business incentive scheme in terms of enterprises out in the community and what we spent that money on, because that is done by private business using government money. It is ridiculous.

MR SPEAKER: I have to uphold Mr Humphries's point. There is no point of order in what Ms McRae said, except, and I repeat it, you cannot really comment on the appointment of the person per se or their qualifications, but certainly the funding is relevant.

MR STEFANIAK: Currently, we have 22,000 people over 65 years of age living in the ACT. It is anticipated that by the year 2007 one in 12 people in the ACT will be over 65 years. Essentially, Ms Armour's role as the housing options adviser is to provide advice and assistance to ACT Housing and to private sector clients on matters relating to their housing. This includes such things as providing advice and assistance to older people on the practicality and potential for the conversion of equity in their existing housing to provide more appropriate housing options in either individual or general schemes.

Mr Kaine: A great initiative.

MR STEFANIAK: It is a great initiative, Mr Kaine. She is also going to liaise with a range of stakeholders, including the community, government agencies and the housing industry and others, on housing issues relating to older people. A lot of our older citizens do have trouble in going to the right agency. They need an advocate, and this person is going to provide an advocacy service.

Mr Corbell: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. You just ruled that the Minister cannot discuss the issue of the role of this individual, only the funding provided to them by the Government. He is simply talking about the role of the individual.

MR SPEAKER: The funding and the role, but he cannot discuss the individual person as an appointment. That has nothing to do with him; but the role has, certainly, and that is what is being funded by the Government, I assume.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .