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Thursday, 26 March 2009 |
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Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [1.11 p.m.]: I also speak to the Public Accounts Committee report entitled "Report on Examination of the Auditor-General's Performance Audits tabled March to August 2007: Responding to Homelessness; Connecting with Public Transport; Dealing with Household Burglaries; Government Advertising", dated March 2009. With regard to homelessness, as the shadow Minister for Youth Affairs I was appalled to read that 11,000 teenagers are homeless on the streets of this State every night. The issue needs to be addressed. The audit conclusions clearly show that the Government has no appetite for action on the matter at this point. We ask that the Government take the audit conclusions on board.
I have raised with the Minister for Youth Affairs the need to hold a summit on youth homelessness, and we ask that the Minister take action in that regard. The Opposition has presented to the Minister key recommendations on addressing homelessness, and we hope we receive the Minister's response to those recommendations before Homelessness Week this year. We ask that the Government address youth homelessness as a matter of priority, because it is an absolute crime.
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