Page 1179 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 24 April 1990
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think, however, that their view is perhaps based on a misunderstanding of the way government funding is carried out. Without prejudging the issue of the community development fund or what the administration is going to put to the Executive on the matter, I do not believe that having a separate community development fund, in fact, guarantees funding for people who have been funded from that source in the past. It is a question of government decision on a year to year basis whether they are funded. That decision can be made whether there is a community development fund or whether that fund ceases to exist and the revenues are all paid into the consolidated fund.
In connection with the aspect of the question that deals with arm's length treatment of funding under this system, I would assume that, even if the community development fund is continued, the advisory committee process by which applications are examined and then recommendations are made to the Government would not change. I would assume, for example, that the Attorney-General who looks after a fairly large amount of the money that comes out of the CDF would still be looking to an advisory body to recommend to him how the money should be distributed in that category for which he is responsible. I would believe that that would be the same with each of the Ministers who has a responsibility for some part of the CDF.
I think that raises another point. There seems to be an assumption that the CDF has an amount of money and that a single decision is made about who will be funded out of it. In the past, decisions have been made by different people about who should be funded, in what category and how much, and who should not be funded. That process will not change whether there is a community development fund in the future or whether there is not.
I think I can guarantee, having an understanding and an acceptance of the concern that the community has about this matter, that irrespective of whether the community development fund remains in place or not, the procedure for being funded from it will not change significantly. Decisions will still be made in much the same way as they have been in the past. Those community organisations that perform services on behalf of the Government will continue to be funded by the Government whether the money comes out of the community development fund or whether it comes out of the consolidated fund. No community group performing worthwhile work for the community should be concerned that their particular position will be jeopardised no matter how the system changes.
MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question. In any review - and there appears to be some consideration of this matter, especially if any changes are proposed - would the Minister be talking to those groups about new processes?
MR KAINE: Yes. Quite clearly, if the Government intends to change the way that it approaches the question of
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