Page 863 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 24 February 2009
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MS GALLAGHER: Because at the moment, in eight months, this has not been achieved, then we should stop it and walk away? Is that what you are putting? That is what you are saying—that we should not actively pursue this; we should not actively seek the support of lenders to come in and assist people on that income. Is that what you are saying? That is what you are saying.
We are getting used to this from the opposition. Opposition for opposition’s sake. Four long years. What do we see? Opposition to money going to schools. Opposition to schemes like the land rent scheme. Opposition to the $42 billion stimulus package. Opposition to everything. Four long years we have got. And while you sit there for your four long years staring at us, we will get on and implement schemes like this that support access to housing and to home ownership for people who earn an income that is less than what they can afford in standard mortgage rates. That is what we will do. And you sit there and oppose it. Sit there and oppose it: good on you!
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, a supplementary question.
MR HANSON: Minister, what action have you taken to resolve this crisis that Canberra families are facing due to a lack of financial support?
MR SPEAKER: I presume that was directed to the Treasurer.
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would ask Mr Hanson to go and read the government’s affordable housing strategy. As I said, we will not give up on a scheme that when it works—and we very much hope it does—will assist families with a product that they have not been able to access in the past.
Health—oversight
MS BRESNAN: My question is to the Minister for Health and is in regard to the oversight of health professionals. A new national register of health professionals is being progressed through COAG, led by Queensland. What is the ACT government doing to ensure that the new national scheme improves upon current methods of addressing consumer concerns with practitioners?
MS GALLAGHER: The ACT government has signed up to the COAG plan for a national accreditation and registration scheme. That is in its final stages now. Bill A has passed the Queensland parliament and now drafting happens on bill B, which takes into account many of the technical aspects of how the scheme is going to work. This matter will go to health ministers and presumably then to COAG in March. We, as health ministers, just report to COAG; COAG has made the decision about this.
The outstanding issues are around how complaints are handled. Many jurisdictions have different ways that that is done, including here where we have a medical board but we also have a capacity for the Human Rights Commission to take part in joint consideration of some complaints. There is some concern that in some jurisdictions the national framework could take away some of the local arrangements that exist at the moment.
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