Page 4347 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019

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Having the right mix of social infrastructure means that we are better equipped to provide vulnerable members of our community with the housing stability they need both now and into the future.

MS CODY: Minister, how is the ACT leading Australian states and territories in delivering social housing?

MS BERRY: Over the 10 years to 2024 the ACT government will have invested more than a billion dollars in public housing and renewed approximately 20 per cent of our public housing portfolio. This is the largest investment and commitment to public housing of any government in Australia. If you compare our $100 million investment, on a per capita basis, to other jurisdictions, New South Wales would need to invest nearly $2 billion and Victoria would need to invest $1.5 billion in public housing. Our approach in the ACT is different to that of other jurisdictions where large-scale selloffs and transfers of public housing are happening.

I am hopeful of more investment in public housing from a federal level, particularly in the form of a waiver of the ACT’s historical housing debt that the Chief Minister has been pursuing on the ACT’s behalf. Regardless, the ACT is leading the country in terms of support for growth and renewal of public housing. This unprecedented investment in public housing demonstrates the government’s commitment to support low income and vulnerable Canberrans by providing more homes in this progressive and inclusive city that supports all members of our community.

Canberra Health Services—workplace culture

MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Health, just to continue on a theme. Minister, the CPSU raised serious allegations in the media on 23 October this year about continuing poor culture in Canberra Health Services. The CPSU claimed that there were instances of physical intimidation and at least one instance where staff were called into a room and asked to tell another staff member why they hated them. The union claims that Canberra Health Services decided against referring this matter to the professional standards unit for an independent investigation. Minister, will you ensure that these allegations are referred to the professional standards unit for an independent investigation? If not, why is that not appropriate?

MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Obviously I am not in a position to talk about individual investigations in relation to individual matters. What I can say is that Canberra Health Services takes all reports of poor culture seriously and there are processes in place to address these issues which are in accordance with legislation.

CHS has introduced a case management approach to identify areas where bullying and harassment occur. Through those strategies, a culture diagnosis is undertaken which can identify a number of issues occurring in the workplace. There is a clear understanding within the culture review oversight group, which met on 4 September, that getting to the underlying cause of some of the cultural issues in particular areas requires a thorough approach. This was reinforced in a detailed discussion with the CEO of Canberra Health Services at the culture review oversight group that took the group through each of the areas identified for further work within CHS.


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