Page 4891 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010
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There is a commitment to break the back of housing affordability, despite the failure of the market, and a determination to manipulate what levers we can as a government to drive improvement. Hundreds of brand-new affordable dwellings have been delivered just in the past two years, courtesy of policies such as OwnPlace, land rent and the partnership between the government and Community Housing Canberra Affordable Housing, and 20 per cent of all greenfield estates are now to be devoted to affordable housing product.
And for those who have slipped through the cracks and become homeless, there is more transitional housing than before. There are new outreach services that seek out and connect with those on the street and allow them to start the journey towards secure tenancies and better lives. For those in our government houses, there are energy efficient makeovers. For all new public housing, there are six-star energy ratings.
There are more police to enforce the government’s major reform of the Liquor Act. There is newer and better equipment and vehicles for our firefighters and paramedics, a dedicated seniors club for the Tuggeranong Valley, and a new Youth Advisory Council to ensure that the government is kept abreast of the issues confronting our city’s youngest residents.
There is more money more quickly and with fewer hassles for carers. There is a companion card to allow Canberrans with disabilities to enjoy more of what this city has to offer. There are eight new speech pathologists to give our children the best possible start in the area of verbal communication and there is a microcredit scheme to help budding businesswomen achieve their dreams.
These initiatives naturally represent just a small fraction of the investments and achievements of this Labor government over the past two years in pursuit of a better city and a stronger community. I have selected them for special mention because collectively they give a flavour of what we have been working for and delivering over the 24 months since the last ACT election.
They are the legacy of a Labor team that is energised and enthusiastic and always on duty. We have never taken Canberrans for granted and we never will because we know that government is a gift, an opportunity to make a difference to a community’s quality of life and also an opportunity to show leadership in relation to the really significant challenges that confront us all wherever we live.
As Treasurer, it gives me satisfaction to know that we have achieved so much in a manner that has left us with the strongest economy in the country, the lowest jobless rate and our AAA credit rating intact. We have maintained our unimpeachable fiscal reputation while remaining sensitive to the plight of those in our community who have been most vulnerable to the impact of the global financial crisis, those in housing stress, those without job security and those along the supply chain whose own livelihoods depend on the good health of the broader economy.
We have worked extremely productively with industry and community groups to step through some of these big challenges—planning, reform, procurement, housing
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