Page 4840 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010

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When it comes to the provision of the so-called courtesy, the reason the courtesy is extended to the Greens is that the Greens honour agreements and conventions in this place. We have no such trust in those opposite. We actually believe, in fact, that they will break any convention, they will make up any rule and they will do anything they want. I say thank you very much to the Greens for their support this time, and I take up their suggestion and I will take it up with the party.

Question put:

That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Ms Burch (Minister for Children and Young People) from making a statement concerning the Street to Home Program.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 10

Noes 6

Mr Barr

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Coe

Mr Smyth

Ms Bresnan

Ms Hunter

Mr Doszpot

Ms Burch

Ms Le Couteur

Mrs Dunne

Mr Corbell

Ms Porter

Mr Hanson

Ms Gallagher

Mr Rattenbury

Mr Seselja

Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.

MR SPEAKER: I call on Ms Burch to make her statement.

MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Children and Young People, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Women): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Look, I am quite happy to provide a copy right here and now.

Opposition members interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MS BURCH: What I am talking on is street to home initiatives. It will save you reading Hansard. My statement relates to street to home initiatives for chronically homeless people or rough sleepers. Mr Speaker, as this is Anti-Poverty Week, it is appropriate that we take this opportunity to remind ourselves and the wider community that poverty and homelessness go hand in hand.

Being homeless undermines your health. It impacts upon a person’s ability to find employment and engage in education and training opportunities. It is for those reasons that we, as a Labor government, are determined to do all we can to break the cycle of poverty that homelessness causes.

This government has overseen a systematic approach to both reforming and improving the support given to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness,

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