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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2557 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Respite care is very much an issue of social capital, and we want to promote this concept actively. To ensure the quality of life of every Canberran, we continue to strengthen alliances between the community, business and government and to encourage the active participation of individuals.

Mr Speaker, once again I thank the committee for its efforts and commend the government's response to the house.

MR WOOD (3.56): I will briefly respond. I thank the minister for his positive response to an important issue, an issue we all understand as being of high priority and of considerable importance to many people who receive and who give respite care. I expect that, arising out of the report and the minister's positive response, we will see further gains in the way respite care is provided and the extent of its coverage.

I think, even then, there would still be a considerable shortfall and, as both the committee and the minister agree, we look to the Commonwealth government to do a good deal more in this area. I said before in this Assembly that, with the committee, we took a very responsible approach. It was possible-and it would have been justified-for us to come back with a long list of priorities, with costs listed against them, and seek funding for quite a range of specific areas. That approach would certainly have been justified, but we know the circumstances of government and we did not proceed down that path.

In fact, in my view our most important recommendation was number three, which reads:

That is a general recognition of the importance of respite care to many people.

We do need more resources, and there are some areas in particular where that is urgent. As well as that, the report looked at, and the government has responded to, improving systems. For example, we had comments from people that they were being assessed several times when applications were made. This happened because one group does not provide funding in an area, but another group does, and there would be multiple assessments. I am pleased that this matter is being examined to ensure that there is no duplication.

I thank the minister for submitting this report out of session. I do not know if it is the first time it has happened-it may be that it is-but I did appreciate that, as soon as it was available, it was made known to members of the Assembly.

I will make a brief final point about young carers. There is quite a deal of focus on that issue, and properly so, because it has been an area that is easily overlooked. Perhaps the extent of difficulty in that area has not been well understood or appreciated. I am pleased the minister is examining views of that legislation that people from Marymead, for example, have presented in Canberra. It was something I looked at, but I think the minister's resources are a good deal better than mine and I am pleased that he is examining that issue as one of importance.

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