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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 984 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

anomaly that I was not aware of concerning a beat-up on a Sydney commercial television 7 pm current affairs program about a 95-year-old World War I veteran whose rent had gone up from $48 to $92 a week. When Peter and Sue went through this with me on the Monday morning, I think it was, it was quite clearly shown that over a period from 1985 there had been some toing-and-froing as to whether one of his two military pensions should be included as income. It had something to do with having been wounded, but I am not sure if it was a TPI pension. Basically, Housing had rarely assessed that as income but there had been an administrative decision to claim it as income.

Naturally the old boy was a bit concerned when his rent went up from $48 to $92 a week, as you would be, and his son went to the media immediately. I looked at it, and I commend the two officials for their prompt attention. We worked out, like Mr Wood would be doing in this case, that quite clearly, yes, you can as minister make some determinations and make those adjustments. Of course we have great regard for anyone who has served their country in time of war-one of the highest callings for any Australian-and have put themselves at extreme risk to defend their country. As such, returned servicemen and women need and deserve to be properly and adequately protected.

I thought an immediate step there, Minister, was to exempt all World War I persons in that category. Housing told me there were, I think, four, although they thought only one was in a house, and that was this gentleman. I had great pleasure turning up and talking to the crew from Channel Seven or Channel Nine in Sydney. When I walked in the door the reporter said, "You look like a front row forward, you are so sprightly."I said, "Right, problem solved."I explained the situation and the TV people did not get the horror story they were after.

However, as a result of that we then, in fairness, looked at whether other ex-servicemen and women were in a similar position. Several months later I was able to again use the discretionary power you have as minister to exempt from the rule-the rule under which, because of a decision that had been made, part of a military pension was assessed as income-effectively some 270 people in public housing who had served their country from World War II up to and including Vietnam. My action did not cause a lot of angst at Housing, it did not cause much loss of revenue, but it was eminently fair for those persons who were obviously affected. Accordingly, this is what the Minister could do here in using his powers to create a natural disaster program.

Hopefully we will never have another natural disaster. This is something that might not ever be needed and it will not necessarily apply to many people at all. We are not talking big numbers here but we are talking fundamental fairness for people who are very much aggrieved, through no fault of their own, and who need to be assisted.

Mrs Burke is not saying in her motion that payment of the whole rent should be waived, that the renters should not have to pay any rent.

Mrs Burke: No.

MR STEFANIAK: Mrs Burke says no. What she means is that if someone is paying 100 bucks a week and, through no fault of their own because of a natural disaster, they

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