The campaign to save the Tenants' Union ACT ramped up on Tuesday with Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay being served an "eviction notice" by ASU members.
Representatives from renting, housing and student groups joined the Australian Services Union in demanding the government provide ongoing funding to the Tenants' Union. They then carried a mock eviction notice - addressed to the Attorney-General - to the doors of the Assembly's public entrance.
"The government is not interested in standing by the renters of Canberra. Every time the renters of Canberra needed someone to have their back, the tenants' union has been there. Right now, the tenants' union needs us to have their back." ASU Secretary Natalie Lang said.
Writing in The Canberra Times Dan Jervis-Bardy reported "The tenants' union has provided support to Canberra renters for 25 years, but the government said it wanted to test the market to ensure it was getting value for money. The union, which is staffed by three full-time and two part-time employees, has an annual budget of $444,000.
The government commissioned an independent review into the union two years ago, but has never released its findings or recommendations."
The eviction notice said "By selling off the Tenants Union you are betraying the renters of Canberra. You are elected to act in our best interest. The best interest of Canberra renters is served by the Tenants Union being properly funded to provide ongoing advice, advocacy and support to vulnerable people in our community. They are the only not for profit specialist service that can do this. If you evict them, we have no other choice but to evict you."
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