Page 6086 - Week 18 - Thursday, 12 December 1991
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with physical disabilities particularly. Just about all States have now joined this process. They certainly have signed a commitment to it. I am pleased that the ACT is now legislating. I am pleased that we are a community conscious town; that just about all of the core services in this city are supported by non-government organisations - - -
Mr Jensen: And volunteers.
MR COLLAERY: And volunteers. As my colleague Mr Jensen reminds me, they are volunteers and they also have joined to them people who may receive some remuneration, insufficient though it is, to cover out-of-pocket expenses. People who receive out-of-pocket expenses are still, in my mind, providers of services at a volunteer level. I am trying to be self-congratulatory without in any way being seen, on behalf of our Assembly, to sing our praises.
I believe that the ACT community has a great record to stand up to. It is a very great pleasure to join with other members in welcoming this legislation, in welcoming the background work that has gone into it, and to say that in this respect at least the Rally wholeheartedly supports the new federalism implicit in a re-division of the powers that the Federal Government had for so long under a type of hegemony and patronage that did not suit the tailoring of services that State governments and Territory governments want to get into.
The agreements that the governments have signed provide for three-yearly reviews, and the like, of services. I think that we all need to be conscious of the fact that we are going to be held to provisions of services through this Bill because this Bill, in effect, gives credence to a governmental promise. We do not need in any way to be slack in taking to account governments that do not fulfil the requirements of this charter.
I want to say at this stage that I do not believe that the home and community care system at the moment is properly reflecting the values that the Commonwealth has set for us. I believe that the Commonwealth at the moment is not entirely coming to this issue with clean hands. I think it is a feature of the instability in the Federal Government in the last year and a feature of the economic situation of the Federal Treasury.
Be that as it may, when there are extensive waiting lists in the field of home and community care, particularly for continency support and the rest, that is wrong. That is denial of a human right. If youngsters can receive unemployment benefits, those who have contributed in the past to society and have retired and are now infirm should have an equal right to service support.
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