Page 1235 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 29 March 2017

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to individual sporting clubs by forcing people out of our city are significant. When our city loses jobs, loses families and loses volunteers, our sporting community and its youngest participants suffer. That is why the ACT government will keep standing up against federal government job cuts and ridiculous decisions to force federal public servants out of town.

Members, including me, often make adjournment speeches in here about having been to great community events, often sporting events. Every one of those events comes together thanks to the efforts of local people who care about our city, people such as those public servants who have resisted a forced move away. The ACT government wants to grow this aspect of our community, not shrink it, so we will continue to fight for all Canberrans to be able to live in our welcoming community, participate and contribute to local sport as they do.

MR PARTON: Would those negatives still apply to people who are forced out of town because of housing affordability issues?

MS BERRY: Housing affordability is a national issue. I am very happy for Mr Parton ask that supplementary question because, while the ACT government continues to provide the most public housing per capita in the country—it is something that we are proud of and we will continue to do so—we will be providing the highest number of renewals that the ACT government has ever embarked on. That would have been completely stopped had the Liberals been able to form government in this place because they would have cancelled the light rail contract. It is intrinsically linked to public housing renewal in the ACT. They would have much preferred that public housing residents continue to live in housing that is not suitable for their needs and not sustainable into the future whereas the ACT government is committed to supporting public housing residents in the ACT and renewing over 10 per cent of our public housing stock.

SHOUT—government support

MS LEE: My question is to the minister for disability. Minister, today on ABC radio, the acting chair of SHOUT, Rebecca Davey, referred to a telephone conversation with you as to promised transitional funding for the next 12 months. Can you please outline for the Assembly what the nature of that funding is, the amount, and any conditions attached to that funding.

MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Lee for her question. We have spent the past couple of weeks seeking to reassure SHOUT member organisations and associates that they would continue to get the support they needed. I have been saying for some time—I have been making many public statements, which have constantly been undermined by members of the opposition—that we are working with SHOUT and its member organisations to work through the transition period to ensure that SHOUT and its member organisations continue to get the support that they need in the transition to a new arrangement.

Ms Davey was on the radio today talking about a conversation that we have had. There is a process underway. Again, if you refer to the Hansard report of last week’s


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