Page 47 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2008
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hopeful that that Australian first will produce significant outcomes for first home buyers in due course.
We are introducing land rent and shared equity schemes, and significant progress has been made in that regard. We are developing the legislation, which will be introduced shortly, and I hope that this scheme will be operating by the middle of this year. This initiative is attracting very significant interest from around Australia and, once again, it will be a first for Australia. We are encouraging excellence in affordable dwelling design and construction, with an excellence in housing affordability award. We have introduced targeted stamp duty and other financial concessions for those who are in some stress and are seeking that assistance. Of course, through the Live in Canberra campaign and active recruitment and training, we are seeking to deal with labour force shortages in skilled workers in the construction industry. A significant issue in relation to affordability has been the remarkable increase in the cost of goods and services involved in constructing a house in the ACT. We have also made a significant budget commitment to these particular measures. (Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question from Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, can you please provide some specific information about the affordable housing action plan initiative which provides funding for Community Housing Canberra?
MR STANHOPE: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank Mr Gentleman for the question. Of course, it is interesting that when we get on to successes in relation to housing affordability, the strength of the housing sector in the market and successful initiatives, of course the Liberal Party pretends a lack of interest. Of course they do not want to know about the successes. They do not want to know about the innovation. They do not want to actually be forced to observe successful policy being implemented and its operation.
Of course, Mr Speaker, in seven years in opposition, but for a little flurry before the last election, we have not seen Liberal Party policy on housing, or indeed on anything else, except, of course, Mr Seselja’s mantra: “We need to abolish the LDA” because, of course, government service delivery is evil; private sector delivery is good and public sector delivery is evil. This is the essential mantra of the Liberal Party and Mr Seselja.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, resume your seat. Every member of the opposition is interjecting. Cease. I have drawn it to the attention of almost all of you. Please desist.
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. We do await, as the next election rushes on, the first policy announcements, other, of course, than the initiatives announced yesterday by the shadow Minister for Health that they are supportive of an additional thousand public hospital beds and they are going to wipe out bullying. There is nothing to be gained from a visionary 10-year health plan—
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