Page 726 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 1 May 2007
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If the Stanhope government is making the effort to effectively provide ongoing assistance to enhance the management of the public housing system, the Liberal opposition offers support to such a notion. If efficiency gains are being made and a service can still be offered to the optimal amount of clients then that is good governance and demonstrates preparedness by a government to display good financial management. It is high time the Stanhope government showed such capabilities in the social housing sector. I trust that the introduction of the Housing Assistance Bill 2006 is the first step of the Stanhope government towards sending a clear message to the community that it is prepared to implement sound public policy. It takes courage to make decisions about expending public money, particularly in the area of public housing.
For years the opposition has called on the Stanhope government to make tough decisions concerning fair and reasonable access to public housing. It is imperative that any government of the day continues to refine legislation and public policy that reflects community expectation and also signifies that government considers social responsibility coupled with sound fiscal management. It seems that the Stanhope government has had to accept it is time to adopt such an approach to governing in the ACT.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.29 to 2.30 pm.
MR SPEAKER: Members, the speech timing device is still inoperative. Earlier on, I mentioned that we might use the sand timer to give members an indication that four minutes were left, but in question time, because it is such rapid fire, we will not be able to reset the thing, so you will just have to take my word on it.
Questions without notice
Capital works program
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Chief Minister and Treasurer. Treasurer, in an article in the Canberra Times on 18 April 2007 in relation to the capital works program progress reports, a spokesman for ACT Treasury is quoted as saying that the capital works program progress reports were:
… neither required by legislation nor useful outside the bureaucracy … were not user-friendly to the public … were determined … to more appropriately be used internally within government.
Treasurer, in the code of good government that you released on 14 March 2001 you spelt out the values you saw as important for the process of government, including integrity, openness, honesty, responsibility and accountability. Treasurer, when did you approve the suppression of the capital works program progress reports?
MR STANHOPE: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question, but it is certainly not the case, as suggested rhetorically by the Leader of the Opposition, that I
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