Page 3055 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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I reiterate that using punishment to address hoarding is highly unlikely to be the right answer. As has been stated in this Assembly over the last couple of days, most people who hoard actually have underlying mental health issues. We need to make sure that those people with hoarding problems or hoarding tendencies are adequately supported and that this is funded in future budgets.
I take this opportunity, talking about funding and possible punishment as an approach for changing people’s behaviours, to remind the Assembly that we have also proposed progressive revenue measures, such as last year’s call for an investigation of income-based fines, as set fines do not recognise the unequal impacts of high costs of living and people’s ability to pay. This is something that the government will be reporting back on next week. Basically that is when they have to as a result of my motion. But this is an issue we need to bear in mind as we debate legislation against hoarding, littering and animal abuse in the coming weeks.
Finally, I note that there are numerous plans in existence or in development in relation to social inclusion and community services. Plans such as the women’s plan and the first action plan, the age-friendly cities plan, the disability justice strategy, the drug strategy action plan, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan on children and young people, leadership, cultural integrity, inclusion, justice, economic participation, health and wellbeing, employment, housing and lifelong learning, the blueprint for youth justice, the carers strategy and the ACT multicultural framework second action plan—all these need to be adequately resourced.
One of the dangers that I fear we are falling into in having strategic plans, underlying action plans, is that they create a false sense of what is possible and a false sense of what is actually happening unless they are adequately funded. The government has to follow through on its aspirational goals in the publicly circulated plans in order to ensure that they remain trusted by the community. To a large extent, I think the lack of follow-through is a budget issue. I think this is a very real point on which to end my speech on CSD. Clearly, in general the Greens are in favour of all the initiatives. We just need to make sure that what is promised is more than promised; it is actually delivered.
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (5.25): I rise to talk on the veterans element of the budget. As members would be aware, I have been a long-term advocate for veterans in the ACT. It is my view that it took too long for the government to take the lead on this issue and recognise and support veterans. However, I would like to acknowledge the current minister’s interest and activity in this area. It is an area that deserves bipartisan support, which it currently receives. In that vein, I also acknowledge that on a number of occasions the minister and I have shared a lift to various activities. I regularly see him at the War Memorial and other veterans activities throughout the ACT, and that is a good thing.
I note that in this budget there are a number of elements that have been previously promised and are being delivered. The new advisory council has met on a number of occasions, under the leadership of its chair, Brigadier Alison Creagh. There have been seven community engagement opportunities this year and I trust that they have proven valuable.
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