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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 2648 ..

MR WHITECROSS: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Quite frankly, the Minister's answer borders on contempt, Mr Speaker. He made no attempt whatsoever to answer the question I asked. Let me refresh the Minister's memory. Can you provide the Assembly with the reasons why you have taken away the subsidy for the evening college program? Can you explain whether this action has been taken in any other States? In relation to your assurance that current students will be able to continue at the old fee, Mr Stefaniak, will you guarantee that you will have abolished poverty by the time next year starts, so that there will not be any low income students trying to access these programs in the future once you have abolished the subsidy? Can you confirm, Mr Stefaniak, that this decision, like all the other decisions that you have made, was made without any proper research and without any proper reasons?

MR STEFANIAK: I think you will find there are some very good reasons for this. We have been through all this already. How about making it more accessible to more people? I am not Bob Hawke, and I do not think anyone on this side of the house professes to be, so I am not going to make any statements about no-one living in poverty or otherwise next year. I have already indicated to you, Mr Whitecross, that there will be concessions for pensioners and card holders. That is something that the department is examining. I have said that already, Mr Whitecross. In relation to evening colleges and Year 12 certificates, rather than just four colleges doing it, the idea is to enable other colleges to do it to enable more people to access the program, to enable some more money to come into the system and to assist colleges. I would think they are all very good things for all concerned.

MS HORODNY: My question is addressed to the Minister for Urban Services, Mr De Domenico. Earlier this year the Minister gave an indication that the issue of truck parking in residential areas would be resolved in an expedient manner. A working group was established to resolve the issues at hand, and I understand that the working group has made its final recommendations. In line with the community's desire for, and the Government's commitment to, a speedy resolution of the issue, will the Minister inform the Assembly of these recommendations?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Ms Horodny for her question. It is true that the working party has come to an agreement - a 100 per cent agreement, I was told. In fact, Ms Horodny, I can inform the Assembly that even the people representing RORE agreed with the unanimous decision of the working party, only then to reject that unanimous decision once they went back to their constituents. Ms Horodny, I can tell you that I will be meeting with the working party very shortly with a view to making sure that they do make the unanimous decision. If that is not the case, the Government will then - - -

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