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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (8 August) . . Page.. 2619 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

those most in need. This includes making sure that people continue to pay full market rent so that that money can be used within housing to ensure the best possible outcome.

Ms Tucker referred to the Housing Assistance Act as well as the Residential Tenancies Act. I have to say that there is something else that governs the way we operate, and that is our agreement with the Commonwealth on housing. I must say that some of the suggestions I have heard over the last few weeks on this issue would purport to have us change that agreement-the same agreement that has been signed not just by the ACT but by a number of the Labor states. This is the agreement that they also live by.

Maybe that agreement might be able to be improved, and I would look forward to the time when it is renegotiated in order to seek some improvement. But at the moment, we do have a number of issues that guide us, and we will work to ensure that we work within those guidelines and within that legislation. We will do this in an appropriate manner in order not to impose hardship by sudden or dramatic increases. That hardship will not be imposed for the fundamental reason that we do not increase anybody's public housing payments to an amount which is more than 25 per cent of their income.

Mr Speaker, I want to say one other thing. Mr Wood also raised the issue of maintenance. We have introduced a new maintenance system that started on 1 July. I am expecting to see maintenance improving significantly. That is why a new system was introduced.

I think it is rather important that it be recognised that steps have been taken to improve. Of course, when we took those steps to improve, the Labor Party criticised that as well. No matter what you do, a negative angle can always be found, and the Labor Party is overwhelmed by negativity.

Mr Wood: Well that's true-no matter what you do, Mr Moore, there is always a problem attached to it.

MR MOORE: Come on-I had to have my little dig, Bill.

MR WOOD (5.53), in reply: Mr Speaker, I will close the debate. Mr Moore falls back on section 15 of the Housing Assistance Act.

Mr Moore: No, I just comply with it.

MR WOOD: I would point out to Mr Moore that when you are setting rentals it is very difficult to compare a small three-bedroom ACT government house with what you usually find in the private market. There is no comparability. The difference in the houses is remarkable and, therefore, the difference in rentals is remarkable. But that is not always acknowledged.

Let me come back to maintenance. People around this place would know that, as a general rule, many of government housing properties are not as well maintained as houses in much of the private market. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but it is simply nonsense to say that you can charge the same rent for average three-bedroom private accommodation and average three-bedroom government housing

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