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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1652 ..

MR SPEAKER: Do you have a supplementary question, Ms Reilly?

MS REILLY: Mr Speaker, I am now trying to work out whether the graffiti clean-up program is a job or employment program, a training program, a master painters apprenticeship, or what it is.

MR SPEAKER: Why do you not sit down and think about it? Otherwise, ask the supplementary question.

MS REILLY: Can I ask my supplementary question, please, Mr Speaker? I know of your personal interest in graffiti clean-up, having seen pictures of you doing this job. I hope you were not taking away any job from a young unemployed person. Obviously, it is not really an interest in employment or jobs from this - - -

Mr Kaine: How many supplementary questions am I getting, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: I do not know. She is rambling on at this stage. Will you ask the question?

MS REILLY: Can you now tell us what your Government's real interest is in long-term unemployed young people?

MR KAINE: First of all, Mr Speaker, I am not the Minister for Employment; and this - - -

MR SPEAKER: No; I was thinking that.

MR KAINE: Well, I am not. If you want the Government's policy on employment, direct your question to the right person.

I will take the opportunity to remind you of what the graffiti program has done for Canberra. Since the program was launched on 15 August 1995, over 1,450 sites have been cleared of graffiti; 400 sites have been coated with a sacrificial coating to prevent further attack; over 1,200 graffiti vandalism sites have been recorded; a database on graffiti sites has been maintained by the graffiti reduction team; over 440 sites have been identified as suitable for legal street art and community murals; the legislation relevant to graffiti vandalism has been changed so that an offender is liable to a fine of up to $5,000 and/or six months' imprisonment; a draft code of conduct for the display of graffiti material has been developed and released for public comment; an education program to raise the awareness of the social and financial impact of graffiti has been developed; there have been three clean-up days - one in Belconnen on 13 October 1996, one in Woden on 24 December 1996 and one in Tuggeranong on 15 February 1997 - where 219 volunteers attended to assist; and the 1996-97 budget youth employment initiative has commenced, and 60 youths are now painting out graffiti from high-priority areas. That is what the graffiti program is about. It does employ people; it does give them a wage; but it is not intended to be permanent employment. Its objective is to get rid of graffiti. Do you understand that, Ms Reilly? Is that clear?

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