Page 4034 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
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Mr Berry: I take a point of order. There is an imputation against Ministers that they are not straight, and that has to be withdrawn.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is an imputation; saying that the Minister is not telling the truth.
MS MAHER: Okay, I withdraw that. They just give longwinded answers. We are referring to the Hansard and the questions I have asked and the information Mr Connolly has given.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: If you keep to that line; I think that is what it is about.
MS MAHER: Okay. With respect to my questioning of Mr Connolly in regard to the reduction of staff in the children's day care services area, on page 46 of the proof Hansard Mr Connolly said:
I presume this reduction of two staff in the administrative unit is what is of concern to Ms Maher ...
So, he is basically admitting there that there is a reduction of two staff in that area. He continued:
but I am afraid that in the difficult budgetary times, those sorts of savings had to occur at the administrative level. I think it is a better way to make the savings than at the service delivery end.
I presume that he is talking about the two positions in the licensing function area. He is talking about them at the administrative level; that they are not service delivery positions. Well, I beg to differ, in that I think those two positions - there are four at the moment - provide very good service to the ACT in making sure that the quality of child-care within the ACT is of the highest standard.
At the moment there are considerations going on to increase the number of child-care places while at the same time reducing the number of staff who maintain these services, who ensure that they are correctly licensed, that they are meeting the requirements of the legislation under which they have to be licensed. They are answering complaints and checking them out.
Mr Berry: How relevant is that to the censure motion? This is over the top. I take a point of order. I would like to ask Ms Maher to remain relevant to the censure motion and not wander off on some diatribe about what might or might not happen in a particular government service department as a result of some perceived changes in efficiencies in those departments.
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