Page 406 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 4 March 2008
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We do not have a policy like the Liberals had of tossing people out onto the streets, because we know there is a revolving door here. If we kick them out of public housing, they come in through the homelessness one. The Liberal government, prior to the Stanhope government taking office, had the record for the most number of evictions since self-government. They could not care less about the children of those families that they throw out onto the street with their suitcases. Do we do that? No, Mr Speaker, we do not. We try to work with these families and make sure that the underlying issue that they have is addressed.
Of course, at the end of the day, sometimes management-initiated transfer has to happen, and it does. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But at the end of the day, those opposite would have us evict them. We do not have the power to do that. That rests with the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, quite rightly, because we do not have the draconian, hardline approach that these guys have. Think about what has been said in this place, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, come back to the subject matter of the supplementary question, please.
MR HARGREAVES: The question was about our housing policy, and what it does not include, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: It was about newspaper reports.
MR HARGREAVES: is doing character checks before people get on there. It is not about empowering public servants to undertake police-like activities and arrive unannounced, knock on the door, and say, “We’re here to see whether you’ve got a cannabis thing.” We don’t do that. We actually work with people because we want sustainable tenancies. We want people to enjoy life and not to go through life being absolutely terrified by Mrs Burke.
Canberra Hospital—patient care
MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Minister for Health. Minister, on 7 August 2007 serious concerns were raised by the family of a chemotherapy patient who claimed to have received substandard treatment at the Canberra Hospital. On that same date you said that you had “ordered a full clinical review and the patient should be involved in that”.
Minister, as of today neither the patient nor any family member interviewed by the ABC have received a single telephone call or letter from you or your officials regarding your promise of a full clinical review. Minister, what have you or your department done to progress this review promised to the family by you on ABC television?
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. From my recollection, a full clinical review was undertaken into this matter. I think it arose out of a number of allegations that Mrs Burke was making, supported by the family—if I am recalling the correct family—around supplies. My understanding is that a full clinical review was undertaken.
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