COMMUNITY HOUSING PROVIDERS (NATIONAL LAW) (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 25 September 2013.)

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (17:46): The Liberal Party supports the second reading of the Community Housing Providers (National Law) (South Australia) Bill. In summary, the key aims of the bill are to:

introduce a nationally consistent approach to regulation of registered community housing providers;

provide a platform for registered community housing providers to operate more easily across jurisdictions;

secure government's financial and non-financial interests in community housing assets;

clearly establish the separation of government's dual roles for funding and regulation; and

provide greater public and commercial confidence in the capacity and professionalism of registered community housing providers.

The Liberal Party's position on this bill has been led by the member for Morphett, who has engaged in the consultation on the bill. He has advised our party room that this legislation is being introduced through template legislation which will be passed in each participating jurisdiction and there has been a national agreement in relation to the legislation. He advises that New South Wales passed the legislation on 22 August 2012, and it is the host or lead legislator, I assume, for the legislation.

He indicates that all states and territories have been extensively involved in the development of the national law and that South Australia confirmed its commitment to implementing the national system by signing an intergovernmental agreement to the national regulatory system for community housing providers on 31 August 2012.

I guess there is an obvious question as to why it has taken 12 months to get to this particular stage for the South Australian parliament to consider the legislation, but I do not intend to delay the passage of the bill by pursuing that. I will leave that to the member for Morphett. With that, I indicate Liberal Party support for the second reading of the bill.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.