Page 2048 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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The Committee recommends that the ACT Government increase its funding for early intervention services to a level where they can meet at least the basic therapy and respite care needs of their clients.
In reading that recommendation, it is important that I bring people's attention to paragraph 3.51 of the report, which preceded that recommendation in the body of the report. That paragraph reads:
The Committee is loath to make recommendations in relation to increasing funding as it is aware of the budgetary restraints of the ACT Government and that it is not possible to put more money towards every worthy cause because to spend more money in one area means spending less somewhere else. However, the Committee considers that situations such as children missing out on essential therapy for months at a time because the Department cannot afford to replace a therapist on leave are intolerable.
The committee heard evidence from parents advising us that, unfortunately, it can and does happen that a child's appointment with a therapist is cancelled for acceptable reasons such as sick leave, holiday leave and so on but also, in cases, for more predictable reasons such as maternity leave. Less than satisfactory arrangements are made in some of these cases, and more often than not the child's appointment is delayed, not replaced or whatever. The committee was advised that in these cases replacement staff cannot always be paid for or be afforded. This situation is not satisfactory.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! The time for Assembly business has expired.
Motion (by Mr Berry) proposed:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Ms Ellis concluding her speech.
MR MOORE (11.57): More members than Ms Ellis would like to speak on this issue. A motion to allow members of the committee to address the issue would be a sensible way to proceed, although I suppose that we can adjourn the debate. On the basis that we will adjourn the debate, I withdraw my objection, Madam Speaker.
Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.
MS ELLIS: I understand that we may not have certain types of therapists thick on the ground, and interim staff arrangements may be very difficult to arrange, but it should not be a question of cost. These appointments are an important part of a family's handling of their situation as well as of importance to the child in question. We should really see a system responsive to the client, not - as it appears to the committee - responsive to the administrative possibilities.
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