Page 1531 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 May 1990
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family breakdown and youth homelessness as these occur in our community. The ACT Government response to the complexity of issues highlighted in the report of the inquiry into homeless children and young people is wide ranging.
The inquiry made 77 recommendations calling for action by Commonwealth and State governments, and each of these has been considered in relation to our ACT community. We are already addressing many of the recommendations but, for some, further action and commitment are needed. We are fortunate that a fair level of considered planning has occurred in the recent past. The result has been a broad range of services, many of which measure up to those recommended by the inquiry and which certainly provide a good basis for further development and refinement. The response also builds on initiatives taken or proposed by the previous Government to assist the alleviation of homelessness.
Mr Speaker, the ACT has been self-governing for a short period and the ACT Alliance Government has had responsibility for governing for an even shorter period. We have a deep commitment to our community and we take the challenge to implement policies for social equity, to address difficult issues and to achieve valued outcomes in a climate of continuing fiscal constraint. Since coming to power, Mr Speaker, we have restructured departmental responsibilities to enable coordination of service delivery and program development to be improved and better targeted. Our integrated approach to social policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation is being coordinated through the Chief Minister's Department.
Of particular relevance to an effective, practical response to the issues surrounding youth homelessness and child poverty is the establishment of the Housing and Community Services Bureau. The bureau has enhanced the capacity of the Government to provide an accessible range of services to those in the community who are at risk or in crisis. It has brought together responsibility for welfare, community services, community development, housing and corrective services. As well, the bureau is located with the ACT Law Office, bringing an easier focus on justice issues affecting youth.
Similarly, the placement of education and health in the portfolio of my colleague Mr Humphries has established effective, ongoing linkages in the coordination of services and hence has improved our capacity to address the serious problem of young people with behavioural or psychiatric problems and those with drug and alcohol problems.
Mr Speaker, the Alliance Government is concerned that young people, their needs and issues not be put to one side but that they be considered fully in the context of the community to which they rightly belong and in which they must be able to participate. The Australian Institute of
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