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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (14 December) . . Page.. 3012 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

The disability area is one where, unfortunately, I believe the demand will always exceed the supply. With the scarce resources that are around at the moment, it seems to me that we must endeavour to make the very best use, and the best targeted use, of the resources that we have. I am aware, and I am sure other members are aware, of concerns frequently brought to us as representatives by people with disabilities. Those concerns relate to the number of services that are available, the types of services that are available, gaps in services, and so on. As an Assembly we ought to be examining all of those issues in a very thoughtful and very careful way, to ensure that we are offering the very best that we can as a Territory but also to ensure that, if and when we are to enter into a new agreement with the Commonwealth, we do that with the very best of information available to us. That information must be based on consultation with the community and with those who provide services in our community. It is a very major task that I have called upon a committee to perform.

I know that the Greens propose to move an amendment to refer this task to the Standing Committee on Social Policy rather than to a select committee. I will not be opposing that amendment, but I should explain my reasons for wanting to establish a select committee. In the first place, Mr Speaker, I am aware that the Standing Committee on Social Policy has just taken on a very major reference of reviewing mental health services in our Territory. I think that represents a large amount of very necessary work for the committee, so they might have trouble doing both references together.

The other reason why I want to set up a select committee is that I hope that I might be on it. I am not a member of the Standing Committee on Social Policy. The area of disability services is one in which I have a very close interest and a fair amount of experience. I hope to be able to work on this issue myself. Nevertheless, Mr Speaker, as I say, I will not be opposing Ms Tucker's amendment. If it is the will of the Assembly that this issue go to the standing committee rather than a select committee, so be it. But I thought I should explain my reasons for the original wording of my motion.

Mr Speaker, members will be aware that the Disability Agreement that has been entered into does not specifically mention education or services for school-age children or school-related services. It is my view that the committee that examines this matter should have a very close look at those issues as well. It seems to me that for many children with disabilities the course of their lives can be vastly affected by the start they get in life and by their educational opportunities. I know that that is a view that has been pretty much bipartisan in this Assembly and that governments, of whatever persuasion, have attempted to increase services for children with disabilities, including educational services. We have seen a range of integration activities and a range of innovative educational opportunities presented in the Territory, so I believe that it is very important that, whichever committee does this task, also have a look at education and opportunities for school-age children with disabilities. Mr Speaker, I commend this motion to the Assembly. I think that, whichever committee performs the task, it will have a large amount of work to do. It would be very much to the credit of this Assembly if we were able to come up with a thoughtful, well-considered report, one that involved all the relevant groups in our community, and if that body of information could then inform whatever arrangement replaces the Disability Agreement that was entered into five years ago. I commend the motion to the Assembly.

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