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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1677 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

ADD Inc. operates on a triennial funding system and has sufficient resources to operate a facility of this size, and it will not be increasing the number of clients above seven. Six to seven is the number they are funded for and that number will continue. All residents are assessed to determine their eligibility before they go into the Arcadia House facility. Mr Speaker, many members here may not be aware that before residents are accepted at Arcadia House they actually have to sign a formal contract. The contract outlines the rules of the house, including no alcohol or drugs on the premises and no contact with family or friends during the detoxification period. If residents break this contract, they are asked to leave. The service will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as it is at this stage.

Mr Speaker, ADD Inc. do an extremely good job in this area. Any member who is uncomfortable about this proposal should actually go and have a look at the current facility, as I know residents of the Ainslie area have been asked to do, if they are interested. It is a good facility. They get very good results and they are a very dedicated team. I would ask members of this Assembly, before making any rash decisions, to go and have a look at the facility.

MR MOORE: My question is to Mr Stefaniak as Minister for Education. Is the Minister aware of discussions within the Canberra Institute of Technology considering charging for basic literacy and numeracy courses? Will the Minister assure this Assembly that, for the sake of social justice, the basic literacy and numeracy courses will not be subject to fees?

MR STEFANIAK: I will take on notice the part of the question about actual courses. I do not have specific details on exactly what Mr Moore is speaking about. As a matter of general course, the CIT does charge fees. Fees are of varying scales and quite reasonable for students who do not have jobs or who would otherwise be unemployed. They are geared towards that. Of course, there are also student loans. I will take on notice Mr Moore's specific question.

MR MOORE: I ask a supplementary question. I appreciate the Minister taking the first part of my question on notice, but I believe that I still do not have a clear answer to that part of my question that asked: Will the Minister assure this Assembly that, for social justice reasons, literacy and numeracy courses will not be subject to fees?

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. That was the same question as Mr Moore asked the first time around. Even if there was some difference, Mr Stefaniak took the question on notice and therefore cannot add anything to what he said.

MR SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order.

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