Page 3593 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 18 September 2019
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and plans for the development of the former Downer Club site in Dickson. Greg, a resident from Common Ground Gungahlin, joined us for the launch. As the second tenant in Gungahlin, it was great to see the changes that have happened in his life with the stability and security that have come from being a part of Common Ground. I look forward to the completion of this project and have joined with the Common Ground board to call on all the community, builders and businesses to be a part of this special project.
These are just some of the actions that have been happening under the housing strategy over the last year. I look forward to updating the Assembly further on its progress.
The Chief Minister and I are pursuing a waiver of relief from the commonwealth for the historic housing debts dating back to self-government. The Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister on this matter and I have written to the federal housing minister in support. The $13.4 million paid per year, $115 million in total, that is paid to the federal government would be much better redirected into more social and affordable housing here in the ACT. In line with the deal that Tasmania has struck, the ACT government is hopeful for a similar deal for the ACT. We look forward to Mr Coe’s support in encouraging the federal government to change its mind and to waive our $115 million housing loan.
In relation to Mr Coe’s original motion and the support for people on lower incomes, I have outlined a number of actions being taken under the strategy to support people who need it and get them into a safe and affordable home. ACT Labor and the Labor Party more generally are keen to ensure that people in the ACT and across the country get the chance to live a decent life, that they have a wage that they can live off to buy food, pay rent, and study or work.
Mr Parton mentioned in his speech that we are trying to pass blame to the federal government. Certainly if the federal government could support the people that Mr Coe referred to in his speech, the working poor in our city, by making sure that there was an increase in Newstart, that would be a wonderful start for the federal government’s support for poorer people in the ACT and a real sign that Mr Coe and the Canberra Liberals actually cared about these people in our city.
The federal government could be taking great steps to boost the wages of thousands of low paid workers as well by restoring penalty rates that were cut over the last two years. Those Canberrans who are working in our shops, bars and restaurants, who are giving up weekends to run the services that we all use, have had their pay cut. I call on the leader of the Canberra Liberals to join with ACT Labor and the Greens, if they wish, to write to the federal government to return penalty rates to low paid workers in the ACT, to increase Newstart to a level that people can actually survive on, and to ask the federal government to remove the ACT government’s housing loan so that we can make a real difference to the working poor in the ACT. I support Ms Le Couteur’s amendment to Mr Coe’s motion.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (5.20): I would like to make a few brief remarks in this debate. I would like to thank Mr Coe for bringing this motion to the Assembly today.
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