Page 2520 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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DR FOSKEY: I am talking about the mix of people that exists in some of our multi-residential housing. The good people—I know lots of them; some of them are in the joint champions group—who actually hold those communities together would probably not be eligible for public housing under the new criteria. The social work that they do is not counted. The amount that it saves the government is obviously not understood. Look at the criteria for the waiting list. We know that people who are suffering income poverty only still have to wait five or six to 10 years for a public house. It is the people with the highest needs who require the most support. They should be expedited, but we should also be able to expedite the others as well.
Another consequence is the continuing geographic marginalisation of public housing properties and tenants. Burnie Court provides a good example. The site is within easy walking distance of essential services, shops and major public transport links. Once the home of more than 400 public housing tenants, it has been mostly vacant for several years. When finally developed, it will have not the 30 per cent public housing component promised by the previous Liberal government but something closer to 10 or 12 per cent.
The idea of a government and community which give their first priority to those in most need and is committed to an equitable and democratic community is not reflected in the changes that Housing ACT is implementing.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (10.00): I thank Dr Foskey for that expose of ignorance. You cannot sit there, Mr Deputy Speaker, and say such untruths.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am not, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Not you, but I need to speak to the Assembly through your good self, Mr Deputy Speaker. One cannot sit there and speak such blatant untruths—frighten people on the list, frighten people in public housing and expect to get away with it. Dr Foskey says that we will force people out of their homes. That is what she is telling people. She is saying that we are going to forcibly move people with a disability to go somewhere else.
DR FOSKEY: Is that what I said, Mr Hargreaves?
MR HARGREAVES: That is what she said, Mr Deputy Speaker. If she does not think she did, she can have another look at it. She talks about regulations—the regulations that will move these people on. Firstly, that is misrepresentation of the first order. No such regulations exist. There are guidelines being developed at the moment which include consultation with the very people Dr Foskey is frightening to death. The joint champions group, the tenants union, Shelter, ACTCOSS, the tenants themselves—all of them are involved in the consultation process to develop the guidelines. If Dr Foskey had the wit to check it out, she would know that we have a management-initiated transfer process at the moment. Do we invoke those powers? No, we do not. Are we talking to the people in the homes? Yes, we are. How dare you frighten these people! You can try and be arrogant in this place, if you wish, but do not do it to those poor people. I will not put up with it.
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