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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (4 November) . . Page.. 3532 ..

MR OSBORNE: My question is to the Minister for Children's and Youth Services, Mr Stefaniak. Minister, do you recall that on 27 March last year I asked you a question about the Tuggeranong and Erindale youth centres running out of cash due to mishandling of finances? At that time I also asked what controls were in place to make sure that competent coordinators were appointed so that no similar problems emerged in the future. In response you said:

I am confident now that steps have been taken to ensure that things like this do not happen again.

Minister, I draw your attention to the recent problems at the Southside Youth Refuge, where the police are investigating an alleged misappropriation of funds. Although the details of each case may be different, in essence the core issue is the same - appropriate handling of public money. We are not talking about small sums of money either, Minister. This centre gets $144,000 of ACT ratepayers' money and another $144,000 from the Commonwealth. How did the problems arise, particularly given your earlier assurances last year?

MR STEFANIAK: I thank Mr Osborne for the question.

Mr Humphries: It would be sub judice.

Mrs Carnell: It is sub judice.

MR STEFANIAK: That is true. In terms of the police investigation, it is sub judice, Mr Osborne. I make some comments which are within that rule. As you are aware, the police are investigating the particular incidents there; but might I say - and it has been reported in the press - that the board themselves are the ones who initiated the action. Their action is, indeed, quite proper. As a result of that, police are investigating the allegations. I am not yet advised whether those investigations are complete. In relation to that part of it, I suppose, my colleagues are right in saying that it is sub judice. I commend the board for its prompt attention to that. You are also well aware, I understand, that as a result of the actions of the board and their own initial investigation three staff have, in fact, ceased to be employed there.

I think you would have to concede that the situation there is considerably different to that which occurred back in 1996. There were some problems then between, I think, the management and the boards at the centres which had led to a series of problems going back a number of years. Steps were taken to rectify that and there were certainly no indications of anything untoward happening, apart from, as you said, running out of cash. Perhaps the issues could have been handled better. There were those problems between management and board. That is very different, I think, to allegations of criminal activity, which are now the subject of police investigation. We await the results of what occurs there.

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