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MRS CARNELL: I assume that when Mr Whitecross says “policy direction” he is talking about our approach to community groups. Community groups, we believe, are a very important part of our consultation approach with the community generally. They do not fall into the bracket of community groups as such, in our view. What they do provide, though, and what we believe they can provide for government, is a conduit between government and the communities that they represent. We believe that that is an incredibly important part of community consultation.

One of the things that we will not be doing is consulting, as the previous Government did, with the people who are going to provide the “right” answers on any particular topic. We believe strongly that community groups can provide that sort of input. We are in the process of having discussions with community groups, just as we are in the process - as you would be aware - of starting to put together meetings with Ministers out there in the community. That will be happening in the foreseeable future. In fact, the plans are already in place. We will have Ministers out there available to the community, to talk to people on a face-to-face basis - something that the previous Government never did. We are also looking at making sure that community councils are in a position to be able to provide that input to government. Unlike the previous Government, we think that that is absolutely essential.

MR WHITECROSS: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Mrs Carnell has obviously pushed the wrong button, because she has answered the wrong question. Mr Speaker, my question was about the funding of community groups. Mrs Carnell has claimed that she intends to fund only community groups which are involved in service delivery. My question was: What is her definition of “service delivery”? How did she arrive at this definition? Whom did she consult about this definition? I also ask: What rights of appeal will be open to groups that Mrs Carnell defunds because she does not regard them as being engaged in service delivery?

Mr Humphries: What rights did they have with Ms Follett?

MRS CARNELL: “Absolutely none” is the answer to what rights they had under the previous Government. Our view is that certainly in the ACT we have a limited amount of money. It is our job here to manage the money that the Commonwealth Government gives us and the people of Canberra give us by way of taxation, rates and so on. We have to make sure that that money is properly directed to the service areas or to the people who most need it in our community. That is exactly what we will be doing.

Roadworks - Drakeford Drive

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, my question is addressed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Urban Services. Mr De Domenico, I am not sure when you last travelled along Drakeford Drive in Tuggeranong, but if it was recently you may have noticed the dreadful state of a section of the road in the suburb of Kambah. There are numerous places where the road is breaking apart and loose stones are causing windscreen and paint damage.

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