Page 3247 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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I would like to acknowledge Brendan Kennedy from the Early Morning Centre, who was instrumental in getting this proposal to go forward. Brendan died late last year, and I acknowledge his wife, Myung, who has also been behind this proposal.
I know this is quite a brief speech, but it is a fairly straightforward proposal and a very worthwhile proposal that has been put forward. I think it deserves the support of everyone in the community and government. As I said, if a group comes forward and says they are willing to do this, we should be assisting and helping them, not putting barriers in their way. I urge all members of the Assembly to support this motion tonight.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (7.55): I thank Ms Bresnan for proposing this motion today. The Canberra Liberals will be supporting it. I want to congratulate safe shelter on their initiative and their commitment to the vulnerable people of the ACT. This motion points to a government and, in particular, a minister in Minister Burch with no idea of the work that community-based organisations like safe shelter can do for the community. It points to a government and a minister in Minister Burch with no appreciation of the expertise of workers and volunteers in community-based organisations in dealing with some of the most vulnerable in our community. It points to a minister and a government in Minister Burch so obsessed with process that it is blind to outcomes. It is a government and a minister creating insurmountable barriers and making up the rules as they go along.
It points to a government and a minister in Minister Burch with an ageist prejudice, a blatantly discriminatory attitude that shows a lack of confidence in people who have been helping others for years and perhaps for decades. It points to a government and a minister in Ms Burch more concerned about having meetings than making available beds or coffee or a meal or extending a hand to a vulnerable person who might benefit from care.
So what are these barriers? The government has talked about lack of showers, exits and training. We have heard about the Building Code and lengthy bureaucratic processes to apply for exemptions. We have heard about no formal responses to letters and meetings that did not occur. We have heard about claims that volunteers are old and incapable of doing the job they have set out to do. The thing that is most disturbing about this whole sorry saga is that Minister Burch basically told these people to go away because she thought that they were too old. This from a government and a minister in Ms Burch who would put vulnerable at-risk children in a house with no bedding, no hot water, no electricity, no heating and broken glass on the floor. Where was the Building Code when Minister Burch put these children in a place of care—sorry, it is not “a place of care”, it is “a place where care is given”. Where was the expertise then? Where was the compliance with the law?
This motion moved by Ms Bresnan points to the disgraceful hypocrisy of this government and this minister. It points to a government and a minister in Minister Burch who do not have answers to the problems of homelessness. This is a minister who will go for the publicity event. We know from the minutes of meetings from her own department that the minister likes the department to find her publicity
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