Page 3592 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 12 October 1994
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I turn now to the home and community care program. All members would agree that this area of need is substantially underfunded. I noted in an article in the Canberra Times of 17 May that a joint Federal-State report entitled The Price of Care was released during that week. This report found that the value of unpaid care provided by about 1.2 million Australians was around $6 billion a year. The report noted that some 70 per cent of carers suffered a decline in health. It foreshadowed the possibility of wide-ranging changes in the income support system for carers. Additional funding from the Commonwealth Government and, in turn, by the ACT Government of the home and community care program would not only reinforce the Government's commitment to social justice but also put the ACT in a leadership role in this area. It would be a lasting monument to the International Year of the Family.
Madam Speaker, I welcome the Government's focus for the International Year of the Family on a sustained, long-term effort to increase awareness of family issues and to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of support for families. However, it seems that the National Council for the International Year of the Family will present to the Federal Government later this year its extensive comments on the nine key priorities and the results of its community consultation process - this is something I mentioned earlier - and that the Government will then assess its programs and funding priorities for families for the future. This, of course, will most likely not occur in 1994, the International Year of the Family.
It seems to me also, Madam Speaker, that much time has gone by in the International Year of the Family with little or no celebration by the general community of family life. This is unfortunate. I believe that substantial opportunities, which would have enabled general celebrations to occur, have been missed. On a final note, Madam Speaker: 1995 is the International Year for Tolerance. I certainly hope that, if policy development is going to be a key focus for the year, efforts are made sooner rather than later to establish appropriate working groups to do the work, and that more is made of including the general community in celebrating the international year and in participating in a wide range of activities.
Madam Speaker, I have covered a lot in my remarks about the International Year of the Family. I note Mr Humphries's comments publicly in recent times that here we are, in October, finally addressing the International Year of the Family during the Assembly's business. However, there are substantive points to be made about the recognition of international years, and I certainly think Australia and the ACT have some way to go before we maximise the opportunities that the international years present us with.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion (by Mr Connolly) agreed to:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Assembly adjourned at 6.12 pm
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