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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 2983 ..

MR STANHOPE: My question is to the Minister for Health and Community Care. Can the minister tell the Assembly how many drug overdose deaths have occurred in the ACT since the beginning of this year, and separately since the beginning of the current financial year? Is the minister able to tell us how many of these deaths were of indigenous people, and what percentage of total overdose deaths do deaths of indigenous people represent?

MR MOORE: I am not going to be able to answer the specifics of the questions now. I will take them on notice. Because this is the last question time in this sitting period, Mr Stanhope, I will get answers to you personally as soon as I can. We recognise and are seeking to address the drug and alcohol issues with regard to indigenous people. This government takes very seriously the issue of drug overdose. Whilst there are some differences among members of the Assembly about some areas of drug policy, I think we are all agreed on treatment, rehabilitation and reaching out to people. We will continue to work very hard on those issues.

MR STANHOPE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Thank you, minister, for undertaking to provide me with that information. My supplementary question is this: is the minister aware of the findings and recommendations of the report They'll just read about us in storybooks, which indicated appalling levels of drug abuse within the ACT indigenous community and with which his department was involved? That report was released, I believe, in February this year. In particular, has the minister given consideration to guaranteeing that funds will be made available to Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service to appoint a dedicated alcohol and drug worker to address this alarming problem?

MR MOORE: Members will be aware that we have been working very hard on an health plan for Aboriginal people within the ACT. Instead of having a direction from the government, from the Commonwealth or from Aboriginal people, we have tried to ensure that we have a proper partnership in delivering the best possible services. We plan to release that plan very shortly. It includes such issues as drug and alcohol.

As I said, we are seeing what we can do to provide drug and alcohol services to Aboriginal people. That will not necessarily be through Winnunga Nimmityjah, which is wholly funded by, and answers to, the Commonwealth. However, as you would be aware, Mr Stanhope, we recently handed over the home of Winnunga Nimmityjah behind the Ainslie shops, in a wonderful spot. They have created an atmosphere themselves. We made sure it was in the best possible condition before we handed it over to finalise that project. We are interested in delivering those services and will deliver them in the context of the Aboriginal health plan.

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