Page 604 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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state. We recognise that 10 per cent is certainly an aspirational goal and is part of an ongoing discussion between this party and the Greens but I think it is a proud statement of this government’s commitment to social housing to have the highest percentage anywhere in the country.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary question?
MR COE: Minister, what is the capital cost of increasing the level of public housing to 10 per cent?
MS BURCH: The capital cost would be extreme—the average cost of the build, Mr Coe. You can multiply that by thousands-plus properties. Given how we would implement it over time would be extraordinary. I am happy to come back and do the maths for you but I think once you see where we are at and the aspiration to get to 10 per cent you will see that it is a very high figure indeed.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Seselja?
MR SESELJA: Minister, what is the net recurrent cost of existing public housing stock, and what would be the projected recurrent cost of a stock of 10 per cent?
MS BURCH: I will take that one on notice and get advice and bring it back to those with an interest.
MS BRESNAN: A supplementary?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Bresnan, a supplementary.
MS BRESNAN: Minister, is it true that the ongoing cost per year would be about $10 million to maintain that number?
MS BURCH: If we want to guesstimate, it would be in the many millions of dollars to maintain that figure, to reach that figure, and to maintain it on an ongoing basis. But I have indicated to Mr Seselja and Mr Coe that I will come back with some information on that.
Hospitals—junior doctors
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, I refer to the Canberra Times article on 7 March 2011, titled “Junior doctors under pressure”, which states:
… junior doctors have complained about having to work excessive hours due to the vacancies, which include several registrar positions.
What hours are junior doctors currently working to cover for vacancies in the system?
MS GALLAGHER: Across the junior doctor range of classifications we employ almost 400 junior doctors. There are at any point in time a number of vacancies. I think the last data I saw—and it is changing as we have a number of positions that are
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