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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1754 ..

MRS BURKE (continuing):

And what is the target for the coming year? It is 11,810. This infers that the number of tenancies will fall short of his target for the number of dwellings for the coming year by nine. What is the aim? Why the shortfall between tenancies managed and the number of dwellings to be made available?

The number of applicants being housed is the issue, one that the minister conveniently ignored and avoided yesterday when asked. So much money, with much less delivered. To quote from an election commitment, "Labor will aim to maintain the current level of public housing."I am sure that the minister is listening. Again, I ask: was that an honest promise or is this minister just not competent enough to get control of his department and deliver what the government has decided? It is, again, an either/or question. It is a question of incompetence or a question of genuine promise.

Labor promised to fix the problem with the public housing list. For six years-not one, two, three, four or five years, but six years-they promised to fix the problem. The minister seems to think that he is doing this by measures such as debt management and encouraging people to enter the private rental market. The minister is causing people to be driven from accessing public housing.

People are tired and weary of waiting. Is that what he is secretly hoping for? People will just be forced into more debt by extending themselves beyond what they can manage. Shameful! The sum of $5.5 million was rolled over. Shameful! Why does this government push the people it proclaims to protect to the outer and into housing options that they cannot and will not be able to pay for? That is of concern.

Let's move to community care. In contrast to the disappointing housing aspects of the budget I have outlined, some of the work in the area of community care starts to make it almost look half good. However, from what I can see in looking more closely behind the figures, and I do look forward very much to the estimates process in relation to my portfolio areas, that much of the government talk is in many ways more rhetoric than reality.

We have only to look at the performance of this government over the last 12 months since their first budget last year. Some may have been prepared perhaps to accept that they were still picking up the pieces 12 months ago after years-yes, six years-in opposition, but that can no longer be claimed as they approach the end of their second year in government. It seems to be more a matter of having bandaid solutions than any great holistic approach to policy, as they proclaim so loudly to practice.

Let's move to disability services. Overall, it is important to note that reference was made to continuing to respond to the major tenets of the Gallop report, but where is that indicated directly in the 2003-04 budget? I cannot see any direct correlation to the Gallop report in terms of addressing the many recommendations in there. I realise that it is a slow and long process, but I think more could have been done in a more urgent fashion. I would have hoped to see more funding for this sector, given the obvious, but again I think that we have here a minister who keeps his department under pressure.

I do have to congratulate the minister on addressing individual support needs of people with a disability. I am really pleased about that. It is excellent and I am pleased with this

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