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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1753 ..

MRS BURKE (continuing):

$7.6 million. But what will the community get for this money? Going by last year, it will get nothing. According to output 1.1, which relates to public housing services and policy, nearly $5.5 million of the money was not spent.

I find it incredible that $5.5 million for this sector was not spent. The minister had a target of $90.914 million and an expected outcome of $85.535 million. Indeed, it is most interesting to see what Mr Wood boasted about 12 months ago. I believe that we are still waiting to see some items mentioned in the particular document he put out, so how can this minister be trusted to deliver fully again this year?

What is the community to believe? Will the minister keep promising to spend the windfall money on public housing by putting it in the budget or will he genuinely get control of his department and spend the money where it is needed and where Labor promised-to improve public housing? How can the public be confident of any better delivery of services over the next 12 months from this minister? Quite frankly, they cannot. But one thing they can be sure of is that more of their money will be spent with less to show for it. In other words, this year's budget provides over $30 million more than was spent last year.

This minister has the wherewithal to set reasonable targets using this large sum of money. Do we see a target for a huge increase in the number of dwellings? Do we see a target for a huge boost in tenancies? Do we see a target for a huge increase in the number of applicants housed? These are the issues I will pursue through my comments on this budget.

Labor promised, to quote from an election commitment, "to cease the downsizing of government housing stock". Was that an honest promise or is this minister just not competent enough to get control of his department and deliver what the government, his government, had decided upon? It is an either/or question. It is a question of incompetence or a question of a genuine promise.

What are the numbers of dwellings in public and community housing? The target for public and community housing dwellings for the past year, 2002-03, was 11,910. This minister wanted to have a stock of 11,910. How many was this minister able to deliver? The expected outcome is 11,800, an outcome of 110 less than his target.

And what is the target for the coming year? It is 11,819. Yes, that is right; let me say it again. It is 11,819. That is about 100 dwellings short of his target for last year. He is aiming for just a tad short of 100 fewer dwellings when the government had a windfall gain of the best part of $200 million in revenue. The bottom line cost target has increased exponentially from the 2000-01 budget estimated outcome to the targets outlined in the 2003-04 budget papers, but it does not appear that very much more service is being delivered for the dollars allocated.

This is a quandary. What is going on? What is the number of tenancies managed in public and community housing? The target for public and community housing tenancies for the past year, 2002-03, was 11,760. This minister wanted 11,760 and the expected outcome is 11,700, an outcome of 60 less than his target.

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