Page 1615 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 June 2022
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take the time to explain the amendment. I am sure colleagues have now had a chance to read it. It essentially sets out the steps that the ACT government has been taking. It provides a lot of the information that Ms Lee alluded to in her remarks as not being available. It is in fact available. It is in writing now, just to make sure that there is no misunderstanding about that.
It calls on the ACT government to publish the final details, including eligibility and the terms of the remediation loan scheme and the loan provider once the procurement process, currently in its final stages, is completed. As I stressed in my remarks, it is quite important that we finalise the procurement so that we can give people the exact details that will then not change. They can have certainty.
The government will also continue to work with owners corporations and strata managers to ensure that they are managing the risks associated with potentially combustible cladding. That partnership will be very important, given the complexity, and provide as much support as possible with building approvals and certification processes.
MS LEE (Kurrajong—Leader of the Opposition) (4.08): In closing, I have now had a chance to read Mr Rattenbury’s amendment that was circulated while I was on my feet. Very interestingly—this will be of very great interest to several Canberrans who are in the public gallery and who are watching this debate very keenly—Mr Rattenbury went to great lengths to say, “All of the details that you say are not available are available.” It will be of great interest to those in the gallery, this two-page document and how much more reassurance this is providing to them.
The most important thing that I will highlight is the “calls on”. It talks about publishing the final details, including eligibility and terms—of course, they were from my original motion—once the procurement process, currently in its final stages, is completed; that is, “You will get it when you get it.” This is what we have heard from this government throughout the day today, isn’t it? “You will get it when we say it’s ready, and you will get it when you get it.” No time frame, no accountability and no transparency.
In the amendment they also say “continue to work with” and “continue to support”. Not only has it been years and years, and there was a previous minister who had responsibility for this, but let us not forget that the current government announced in July last year that there was going to be a scheme. Whilst Mr Rattenbury goes on about, “We need to do this and we need to do that to get this ready,” what has been happening? It is a year later. I am heartened that, in media reports, Mr Rattenbury, apparently, earlier today, confirmed that it would be within the coming weeks. Perhaps it will give some—some—small assurance to the thousands of Canberrans that are affected that at least something will be coming.
The Canberra Liberals will not be supporting this amendment, and the reason is this: it once again denies any accountability for actually providing action within a time frame. As is the case with all of the amendments that are brought in by members of Labor and the Greens in this chamber, it is always a self-congratulatory rewrite. “Look at us. Let’s call on the ACT government to continue to do what we’re doing, because everything we’re doing is fantastic.”
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