Page 317 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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these sorts of services. Lack of access to affordable child-care is one of the greatest social injustices which we see every day in society. Without affordable child-care women cannot hope to gain access to education and training, and this lack of access leaves women and children at the lower end of the social scale and in many cases they find themselves in poverty.
I was delighted to hear that Mr Collaery gave a commitment last week to ensure that the funding already provided will go to child-care in the Parliamentary Triangle. I live in hope that that project gets under way quickly because it will be an important facility for the people of Canberra - not just for the people who live near the Parliamentary Triangle but for people all over Canberra who travel and work in areas close to that area. The need was identified as urgent by workers in the area. Many of those workers are women in low paid employment. The Government's cooperation in delivering Labor's commitment to the centre is important since its viability has been questioned on a number of occasions. We need a commitment and we want to be able to deliver that facility.
The guidelines on emergency assistance have been an issue of concern for a long time - I think that the more common term is emergency relief. The first concern was that there were not any guidelines and then when the first draft appeared there were concerns about their application and the inconsistencies in them. That concern has been voiced by the ACT Council of Social Service and many groups who deal with people in need in our community. These guidelines are for the use of all staff of the Departments of Community Services and Health and need to be understood by all involved in welfare services in the ACT.
It is sad to see that after we have waited so long the guidelines are to be implemented without consultation. Consultation went on in the process of development but, as I understand it, there was no consultation about their implementation or about the final draft. Consultation is of great value in ensuring that policies to be implemented are consistent, comprehensive and understood and, as I said earlier, there is a feeling of ownership. Instead, we now have a situation where the guidelines contain serious flaws. I think it is a shame that Mr Collaery is not in the room now because - - -
Mr Collaery: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker; I am listening. I am in the chamber. I do not wish Hansard to record my absence when I am not absent.
MR BERRY: Mr Collaery had moved beyond my field of vision.
The instructions to be given to the workers contained instructions on the options available in the Department of Social Security and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The guidelines give advice which will increase the suffering and hardship of bereaved families in need of
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