Negotiations on a one-line bill enabling funds to flow to Mr Fluffy affected homeowners are continuing between the ACT Government and Liberal Opposition, as plans for a committee hearing next week are finalised.
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A political compromise over the timing of the appropriation bill appeared likely on Friday, with Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson agreeing the territory's Public Accounts Committee could conduct a short inquiry which will include public submissions on the buy-back of homes for remediation from loose-fill asbestos.
With just three sitting days remaining for the Legislative Assembly this year, the prospect of members being recalled before Christmas remains. The bill enabling the use of funds from the Commonwealth's $1 billion concessional loan must be passed before most home owners can receive money and settle property sales.
An assembly source said the situation remained in flux as Ms Gallagher distributed a final draft of the bill on Friday afternoon.
"My focus is to have the bill passed to allow the first buy-backs to occur, where they can, prior to Christmas," Ms Gallagher said. "After discussions [on Friday] we are hoping to finalise arrangements on Monday."
Mr Hanson said constructive negotiations were ongoing and dates would be finalised.
If a committee hearing takes place next week, the bill could be introduced on Tuesday November 25, and passed with the support of the opposition two days later to enable the fast flow of loan funds.
Under that scenario, the assembly could adjourn for the year as the buy-back got underway for some of the 1021 homes.
Greens minister Shane Rattenbury, who holds the balance of power, gave his support to the committee's consideration and indicated he believed the one-day hearing could take place next week.
Whenever the bill is passed, the government expects the biggest hits to its budget bottom line to come in the first and second fiscal year of the Mr Fluffy response, as analysts warn the territory budget will be rocky for a decade.
Ratings agency Standard and Poors said it would watch how the government deals with the crisis in assessing the AAA credit rating.
With the money flowing, the government will purchase properties in the buy-back, leaving new assets on the territory's balance sheet. As the houses are demolished, their value will be written down.
Ms Gallagher has said she is not yet ready to abandon a planned surplus in 2017-18 but acknowledged the budget update due in February would show the downside cost of the crisis.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services analyst Anthony Walker said the agency was closely monitoring developments.
"The ACT has some room for additional borrowing at the AAA rating level, but not much," he said.
"Our stable ratings outlook reflects our expectation that the ACT will manage its budgetary performance, debt burden and its financial strategy successfully."
ANZ Research senior economist Cherelle Murphy said the territory's budget situation would be uneven over coming years as a result of the Mr Fluffy legacy.
"The plan is to acquire these homes and resell them, so the net cost is going to be about $300 million to the ACT budget.
"It will be an uneven distribution of that so in other words they will probably have to meet a lot of the costs upfront and the revenues won't come until down the track."
Ms Murphy said Mr Fluffy would see "lumpiness in the ACT's finances" for a while to come.
"It will affect their operating balance in the immediate period and then they won't get the revenue from reselling the properties until down the track."