Page 2676 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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in every new estate, land rent opens the door to home ownership for households on incomes as modest as $50,000 a year—households that the Liberal Party actually do not believe deserve the right to home ownership. At its most base level, that underpins the stringent ideological objection which the Liberal Party and Mr Seselja have shown to this scheme from the outset. Mr Seselja does not believe that this cohort of Canberrans actually deserves to own a home. He does not support them. He does not care about them. He does not believe they have a right to dream of home ownership.
I have to say that the announcement is a matter of considerable satisfaction to me and to my Labor colleagues in the ACT government. It is a matter of satisfaction to officers in the ACT public service who have seen the value and virtue of land rent and have worked so tirelessly towards today. It is a genuine instance of extending opportunity to a group that might not ever have been in a position—we know this to be true—to even hope that they might one day own their own home.
So convinced is Community CPS of the potential social value of the land rent scheme that its chief executive officer today announced that CPS is proposing to roll this scheme out, as appropriate, throughout Australia. That is how successful CPS expects the scheme to be.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Burch, a supplementary question?
MS BURCH: Indeed. Chief Minister, are there further details that you are able to share with the Assembly?
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yes, there are. Importantly, Community CPS is committed to lending practices for land rent that are prudent and consistent with the highest community standards. I think that is important with a new product such as this.
As I said, it is important that no territory finance is being used to support these loans. This is a genuine partnership between a government that cares about creating opportunities and a credit union whose very reason for existence is to help ordinary folk seize those opportunities when they present themselves.
Of course, land rent will not be for everyone. It is not intended to be. That is why it is part of a comprehensive suite of more than 60 initiatives that go to every aspect of housing affordability—not just for first home buyers and home buyers but for renters and those in supported accommodation such as government and community housing.
The ACT government’s approach to affordability encompasses accelerated land releases, the fantastic OwnPlace partnership with a group of community minded local builders, changes to public housing and a massive boost to community housing.
Mrs Dunne: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Ms Burch’s question was: could the Chief Minister provide any further detail about this program? He is now talking about a whole range of other things, but not about the land rent scheme. I ask you to bring him back to the land rent scheme. I would be interested to hear the details of the land rent scheme.
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