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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 11 Hansard (21 October) . . Page.. 3459 ..

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, in question time today, in answer to Mr Stanhope, I hope I did not indicate in any way to members that there was no government support to Cosmos. There obviously is government support to the Cosmos, and that has been on the record, although the Cosmos does not have the sort of revenue-based guarantee contract with the Government that the Raiders and the Brumbies have.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, yesterday Mr Stanhope presented a minute dated 14 October 1999 which informed staff at the Macquarie COOOL houses that ACT Community Care had been given a two-year contract to provide accommodation support to residents at the COOOL houses. At the same time I was telling the Assembly that this was not the case. Mr Speaker, I undertook to come back to you within the day.

I wish to assure members that ACT Community Care has not been given a two-year contract. The minute Mr Stanhope received was an internal minute from line managers to Macquarie staff based on a misinterpretation of a recommendation, not a decision, that ACT Community Care be given a two-year contract.

Mr Berry: Oh, the old misinterpretation.

MR MOORE: Mr Berry, if you would listen you would understand the pressures that some of our good public servants work under, and perhaps you would have some empathy with their position. In their wish to see some stability for residents and staff and lacking a full understanding of the review process, the ACT Community Care line managers were anxious for the staff to be fully informed of the situation, particularly in regard to their employment rights. I know that does not worry you, Mr Berry, but it does worry a lot of other people. They wished to offer existing casual staff the opportunity for permanent positions with the disability programs should the contract be offered.

All staff from both Macquarie houses were invited to a meeting held by Disability Programs, Belconnen region, on 14 October 1999. During this meeting a minute was handed to staff. That was the minute that Mr Stanhope presented yesterday. This minute failed to mention that the recommendation to award ACT Community Care the contract was subject to review. This omission was verbally corrected at the meeting and all staff present were clearly informed that the recommendation was subject to review. A further minute correcting the omission will be sent to all staff immediately. I believe that clarifies the status of the minute that Mr Stanhope presented yesterday.

There has been a question of whether CHOM agreed to a review by Mr David Butt, the chief executive of the Department of Health and Community Care. I can categorically state that this means of review was suggested as part of the overall process to two members of the CHOM executive, Mr Malcolm Campbell, the President, and Mr Jamie Bryant, the Treasurer, and Mr Bryant later agreed to the written minutes of the meeting. He did not disagree that this would be a reasonable level of review, and I have looked at those minutes.

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