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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 4 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 941 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

three years for the operation of their centres had been cancelled and that instead they would be offered one year's funding only. When they asked why they were offered only one year's funding, they said they were told by officials of the Department of Education, "We are on instructions from the Chief Minister's office to give you one year of funding only". There was no other reason; just, "The Chief Minister told us to do it; and that is what we are doing".

Mr Speaker, what does this say? Let me put it in context. Every other youth centre in Canberra received a funding offer for three years, a triennial funding offer due to take effect at the beginning of the next financial year. Woden and Civic initially received a funding offer for three years as well. If there is any doubt about that, Mr Speaker, I have here a copy of the service purchasing contract between the ACT and the Woden Community Service, which runs the Woden Youth Centre, and it says the contract period means the period commencing 1 July 1998 and ending on 30 June 2001. Mr Speaker, that is a three-year period. Why did the Government make a decision to provide a contract for three years to the organisation to sign but when they showed up on Monday of this week they were told, "Sorry, only one year."?

Mr Speaker, let us look at exactly what has happened here. What has happened here is nothing more than political spite on the part of the Chief Minister to target two youth centres that get up her nose, two youth centres that are articulate and advocate the interests of young people in the Territory. That is a disgraceful act by this Chief Minister. What makes it even more disgraceful than just the pure political spite which drives it is that these two centres were assessed as category 1 under the Government's own criteria. Those criteria mean they are entitled to three-year triennial funding. Erindale was offered it, Belconnen was offered it, Gungahlin was offered it, Southside was offered it, but not Woden and not Civic. Why? That is the question we must ask, and that is exactly the question that Woden and Civic staff asked when they went to sign their contracts. And what were they told? They were told, "The Chief Minister has said we are allowed to offer you only one year contracts".

Ms Carnell: Who told them that?

MR CORBELL: Who told them that, Chief Minister? Officials of Mr Stefaniak's department told them that. That completely undermines any credibility the Government has on this matter, and well may they be sensitive about it, Mr Speaker, because this is nothing more than political spite. That is what it is.

Why is it political spite, Mr Speaker? Let me put the case to you. Woden and Civic have two very articulate advocates when it comes to youth services, two people who say it as they see it. They do not pander to the interests of the Chief Minister. They do not just say, "Kate, please come along and open this for us so you can get your picture on the TV". No. They actually say to the Government, when they do a good thing, "You have done a good thing"; but when the Government has done a bad thing, they say, "You have done a bad thing and we are not prepared to put up with this; it is not in the interests of the constituency we serve". Perhaps, just perhaps, Mr Speaker, the fact is that these two individuals and the services that they represent have got up the Chief Minister's nose and the Chief Minister is not prepared to give them the security of tenure that she and the Minister's department are prepared to give to all the other centres.

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