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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (22 September) . . Page.. 1999 ..

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. The Canberra Times of 19 September reported the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Fischer, as saying:

Canberrans should thank the Federal Government for the thousands of jobs axed from the Australian Public Service.

Chief Minister, do you back up Mr Fischer?

MS CARNELL: No.

MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Following on that comment from Mr Fischer, figures have been released showing that there are more people leaving than arriving in the ACT and that the population growth, small as it is, is due only to a surplus of births over deaths. Chief Minister, how is it that your policies, combined with Mr Fischer's policies, cannot do better for the ACT than this?

MS CARNELL: I am happy to hand over to my colleague.

MR SMYTH: Demographics ACT, which is the unit that does the analysis of the figures, has recently released a report which still shows that we expect growth, all-up growth, of 0.9 per cent per year between now and 2008 and that the population of the ACT will continue to grow. The manner in which it is growing has changed somewhat. Some people are leaving and this is offset by the natural birth rate.

MS TUCKER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Is the Chief Minister aware that the site proposed for the Ainslie Primary after-school care program, the Ainslie Primary School assembly hall, has the following problems for such a purpose: No wet weather access to toilets and handbasins; no access to toilets and handbasins secure from possible outside intruders; no adequate storage for program materials, including sensitive personal records; insufficient kitchen facilities, including space for a dedicated refrigerator and craft activities; insufficient staff facilities, including staff toilets and secure storage for personal possessions of staff; stairs only hall access; no fenced outdoor playing area in the vicinity of the hall; grounds and hall periodically used for other purposes with no adequate alternative venue available; no clear view of all outside play areas from within the hall; and inadequate external lighting? Therefore, this does not match existing standards of Ainslie after-school facilities. Considering the unsuitability of the proposed new location for the after-school care service, what other alternatives were investigated for Craft ACT? Why was this decision made in the first place and when was the Minister for Education consulted?

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