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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 341 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, a nationally recognised accreditation body. It is the Government's opinion that there would be little to be gained from subjecting the disability program to another independent review so soon after the last review. I believe I have circulated the results of that review as well.

Mr Speaker, I thank the standing committee for its considered report on this matter. Our response is a very positive response, but we have already done that part. It was running parallel to what you were doing.

Mr Quinlan: A lot of people are going to be interested.

MR MOORE: Indeed. I commend the Government's response to the Assembly. Mr Speaker, let me add that if we use our processes correctly and allow the Government to put its responses to committee reports on the table for consideration and then proceed, we are unlikely to fall into the sort of problem that embarrasses those opposite and those on the crossbench in the way that they have been embarrassed, and should be embarrassed, over the arrogant action with reference to the Children's Court issue.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Debate resumed from 8 December 1998, on motion by Mr Moore:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

MS TUCKER (4.00): Firstly, I would like to commend those involved in the development of the youth suicide prevention strategy. Suicide is obviously an issue of serious concern to the community. The strategy appears to cover the various aspects of an integrated approach to this problem, although I do have one concern which I would like the Minister for Health and Community Care to talk to at the end of this debate, if possible. I am interested in the membership of the ACT Youth Suicide Prevention group. I can see only one person on it who is young, that is, the nominee from the Youth Coalition of the ACT. I understand that it works under the Youth Health Promotion Implementation Group as well. I would like to hear from the Minister about the functions of the Youth Suicide Prevention Group and why there are not more young people on it, even if there are more people on the Youth Health Promotion Implementation Group. I do not know whether there are. I would like the Minister to explain the membership and function of that group, too, as it relates to the Youth Suicide Prevention Group.

I feel frustrated when I see these sorts of strategies made as if we have not really thought about it before. For example, in 1991 there was an Assembly inquiry into behavioural disturbance in young people. The 39 recommendations included early intervention programs, improving parenting skills, student management plans and an adolescent ward within the public hospital. The Social Policy Committee in the last Assembly, through its

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