Page 352 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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We also remember Treasurer Quinlan’s initiative for some people who were older, lived in a suburb such as Yarralumla and were asset rich but cash poor. What we did was to freeze their rates at that level. Anybody buying that house from them would have to pay the increased rates, but those people did not. We recognised that a lot of these people were either self-funded retirees or on a very small pension and could not afford a threefold rise in rates, which happens to people in Forrest, Red Hill, Yarralumla and those sorts of places.
In relation to transport, the government is also committed to the implementation of the national reciprocal public transport concessions for holders of seniors cards, which is planned to commence in early 2009. Negotiations with the commonwealth, state and territory governments are currently being finalised.
I would like to indicate to members how the bus gold card for the over-75s came about. It came to me in a dream and then I asked my cabinet colleagues about it and they said, “Yes, that’s not a bad idea.” I also talked about asking people to revisit whether they need their licence or not and it was suggested that maybe we could swap it. That was rejected, but the way it was rejected was that I went and discussed the matter with ACT COTA, the Association of Independent Retirees and a stack of older people, who told me what the older people in our community would do. That framed our policy on it, and that is what emerged. It was the people out there telling us.
In August of this year I was proud to launch the annual Life’s Reflections photographic competition. The photographs from this competition will be exhibited in Seniors Week 2009. They promote positive images where older people are seen as valued, active and contributing members of the community.
Mr Seselja’s speech was essentially just a regurgitation of the election campaign promises the Liberal Party made. I hate to tell Mr Seselja this but they lost the election. They did not win it. They did not actually lose it; they just did not win it. But the wish list that they had was an interesting one and I will go through a few of them. One was waiting lists for aged care accommodation. Yes, we were going to do that some time ago. Another was a land bank for aged persons accommodation care. We have already got that. Another was multiunit properties. We have already got that; it is in Housing ACT. In fact, I could take a couple of people around on a tour if they want one.
Mr Coe: I’ve asked you for that.
MR HARGREAVES: Did you say something, young fella?
Mr Coe: I’ve asked you for a tour.
MR HARGREAVES: I would not give you a tour of the old-people homes because you will frighten them.
Mr Coe: Thanks. Good on you; you’re a real professional, minister.
MR HARGREAVES: You, my dear boy, would not know the meaning of the word. My dear fellow, you were still in a sandpit when we were in here looking after the people of Canberra, and I will be here the day you go back to the sandpit. You are just
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