Page 881 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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Regarding the minister and ACT Labor, I am dismayed that the minister’s office made no contact with my office regarding their amendments. They liaised extensively with the Greens but chose to ignore my office, which is disappointing.
All I wanted to achieve here is what is stated in the original motion. There is no political motivation going on here. All I am doing is calling on the government to do what it has already said it is going to do anyway, so I do not really care who provides the amendments or what they say, to a large extent. As long as we move down the path of providing more safety for consumers and more certainty for those in the industry who are doing the right thing, I do not care whose name ends up on the motion or the amendments. I just want to get it done.
It is almost ironic that one of the many stakeholders in this space, the Master Builders Association, is loudly calling for a tougher regulatory framework. When the MBA is screaming out for more regulation and more enforcement, you certainly know that the government is not doing its job in this area.
Although we are not particularly pleased with the government’s amendments, we will not oppose them. I just want this government to stop sitting on its hands in this space. If we move forward on its own terms as distinct from my terms, that is fine. I do not really care.
Amendment agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Housing affordability
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (5.36): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) the challenges facing Australia in relation to housing affordability and homelessness;
(b) that on numerous indicators, the ACT rates among the best performing jurisdictions on housing affordability and provision of housing support and homelessness services;
(c) the active role played by the ACT Government in improving housing affordability for all Canberrans through measures such as phasing out stamp duty and accelerating land supply;
(d) that the ACT Government provides the highest rate of public housing of all States and Territories and a large public housing portfolio is a major contributor to affordable housing;
(e) that Community Housing Providers provide important affordable rental and purchase options for Canberrans on lower incomes; and
(f) that a mix of housing types including public, affordable, community and privately owned can help promote social inclusion and cohesion;
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