Page 3535 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 September 1991
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Ms Maher's question, however, is not a silly question; it is a sensible question. It is listed under "S" for sensible question, just before the anticipated Mr Kaine question. She refers to a very important initiative which I am pleased she has noted. It is described probably most fully in Budget Paper No. 2, "Budget Overview", at page 62.
She asks two questions about that. One is about how it relates to a committee concern when the committee has not reported. As I said to you yesterday in question time, the remarkable difference between this Government and the former Government is that members of this Government actually talk to one another. As a result of that, from discussions with my colleagues Mrs Grassby, who is presently on the committee, and Mr Wood, who served on the committee, we were all aware that this is an area of real concern.
The committee has not yet given its final recommendation, but I do not think that we have to await the committee's final recommendation to acknowledge that this is an area that the community needs to act on. Rather than sitting doing nothing, as we perhaps could have, and fobbing off action by saying that it is under consideration by an Assembly committee, the Government has decided to act. It has allocated the funds indicated in the budget papers - $170,000 in this part year.
MS MAHER: I have a supplementary question. Can the Minister give a guarantee that the formation of this unit - which I think was put up while we were in the Alliance Government as a new budget proposal - will be done in very close consultation with the behavioural management unit, which is going out to Dairy Flat, and the adolescent day care unit, which I believe is still trying to find accommodation?
MR CONNOLLY: I am looking again at Budget Paper No. 2, at page 62. It would appear that it is $100,000 this year and $170,000 in a full year. That is what the brackets mean. That seems to be an issue of some concern to the former Chief Minister.
Mr Kaine: You know what brackets mean. Bewdy!
MR CONNOLLY: I do, indeed, know what those brackets mean. Ms Maher seeks an assurance that there will be appropriate consultation within government. Well, I can give that. We are always concerned, when we initiate new policies or deal with existing policies, that they work more efficiently if different arms of government talk to one another. I can assure Ms Maher that I would expect the officers to do exactly that.
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