Page 469 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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time a party outside the building licensing regime has had enforcement action taken against them. In 2016 the ACT government introduced measures preventing former licensees who have liquidated companies from being eligible to be relicensed in the ACT.
Ten years have passed. That builder is no longer licensed and the developer has been wound up, so no further action can be taken in that particular case as far as the regulation is concerned. However, I reiterate that we are very sympathetic toward those who have been affected and we are continuing to roll out strong, effective reforms to make sure that those people who are building in this territory are of the highest quality.
MR PARTON: Minister, how have you been responding to the reports, the letters and the complaints—which, surprisingly, are emanating not from scare campaign headquarters but from all over the city—that Access Canberra and other government agencies are receiving regarding faulty design or construction in relation to the property cited in the Canberra Times article?
MR RAMSAY: Mr Parton and members opposite would be aware that the regulator who oversees regulatory compliance in this matter is a statutorily independent officer, so it would be inappropriate for me to be directly intervening in any of the matters. I meet with Access Canberra weekly and receive advice on how things are being followed through. We have resourced Access Canberra with additional staff members in this area and have been involved in conversations that have led to the establishment of the rapid regulatory response team—
Ms Lawder: Point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, resume your seat. Stop the clock. Point of order.
Ms Lawder: Standing order 114 says:
Questions may be put to a Minister relating to public affairs with which that Minister is officially connected …
I would imagine that the minister is officially connected with the agencies mentioned in the question and that his saying that it is a different agency and that he is at arms-length to it is avoiding answering the question directly.
MADAM SPEAKER: I do not believe so. He has made mention of additional resources, a rapid response team and other matters that went to “What are you doing to respond to these concerns?” Minister, you have the floor.
MR RAMSAY: Indeed. Having been asked what I was specifically doing, I was replying to what I had been specifically doing. I will continue to work with not only the regulator but also those advising in the area of policy and the policy regulatory updates. I meet with those every week and I am confident that we are continuing on with very strong reform in building quality here in the ACT.
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