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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1815 ..

MR OSBORNE (continuing):

As the government has recognised, that can be done in various ways-from assistance with parenting skills and providing counselling to other practical forms of help, such as providing leisure activities for kids who have too much time on their hands or simply making sure that they have something to eat before they start school for the day. Other approaches that have worked well overseas include programs for pre-schoolers, assistance at home for mothers with young children and initiatives in schools to ensure that students at risk are actually learning.

With more and more research now being done, it is becoming much easier to identify families with problems before things get too far out of hand. This approach makes it much easier to break destructive cycles of behaviour and give those families a chance to get back on an even keel. Whether these programs are called fancy names, such as social capital, matters little to me; they just make a lot of good sense. I am also pleased to see the government spending additional money on education, apprenticeships and opportunities for young people.

The only other comment I wish to make on the budget at this time is in regard to the health line-surprise, surprise! As usual, there are a number of programs in this budget that I am not overly happy with; nonetheless, I support the majority of this budget. I do, however, have two major difficulties with the health line that have caused me to seriously consider my vote. The first is a $64 million slush fund and the second is an allocation of nearly $2 million for the heroin shooting gallery. I will speak on each matter separately, Mr Speaker.

The status of the slush fund is still uncertain. There have been conflicting reports by the health minister, as repeatedly stated in the media, on the one hand and by the Chief Minister and the Treasurer on the other. The health minister has made it abundantly clear that the majority of the fund is not yet allocated and that the fund is to be spent at his discretion and according to his agenda.

Yesterday, both the Chief Minister and the Treasurer said that the entire fund is already specifically allocated. Of course, both statements cannot be true. Due to this apparent confusion, I am taking the more conservative position and will only consider the fund to be a slush fund, which, of course, I could not support. I will only be convinced that it is no longer a slush fund if a specific list of activities or programs on which the money will be spent over the next financial year is tabled in the Assembly before the budget is voted on. I call on the minister to do that.

Mr Speaker, the allocation of funds in this budget for the shooting gallery causes me great concern. I appreciate just how democracy works. We have had the debate and I lost. I did not support the shooting gallery then and I do not support it now. As there has been an allocation for the shooting gallery in this budget, I am faced with the dilemma of giving support to a program that I find reprehensible in every respect, morally, ethically and legally. Legislation to establish the shooting gallery was passed into law by two members of the government, Mr Moore, Ms Tucker and the Labor Party. Given the great belief that Labor and Ms Tucker have in the shooting gallery, it is only right and proper for them to support the funding of it.

Mr Speaker, I would like to finish briefly on the increase in money for policing. The extra money is welcome and much needed. I have never attempted in my time in this

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