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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (13 June) . . Page.. 1577 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

undermine proper probity processes is obviously serious for anyone who wants to see proper accountable processes in determining expenditure of public money. That definitely needs to be looked at.

The issues of poverty came up at the community hearings quite a lot. There definitely was a feeling that there should be a more systematic response to the poverty task force and that the government was quite random in the way it picked up recommendations of the task force. It is important for the next government to understand that there has to be a systemic approach to the issues of poverty. While it is good to see anything spent in the area, it is not necessarily the most effective way to spend the funds if it is not done in a thoughtful way.

On the provision of affordable housing within the Kingston foreshore development there was a rather confusing exchange. It was not clear whether structured into the process of development at Kingston foreshore there was a way of ensuring that there will be mixed social housing on the site. For this government, which claims to be committed to social capital and community development, and for any future government it is very important to keep that mix across Canberra. It is one of the good things in Canberra and we do not want to lose it.

In line with that, we also made a recommendation once again about the need to develop a social plan based on analysis of current and future needs and informed by consultation. That has come up from quite a number of other committees that I have been involved with. It still has not happened and it is a problem. We see quite ad hoc decisions being made still. That is a continual frustration to the community sector as well as anyone interested in addressing social need effectively.

Indigenous health came up again, and there are a couple of recommendations on that subject. We seem to be almost not hearing the real situation for indigenous people in this town and in all cities around Australia. In the ACT we are talking about government responses. A committee is looking at this matter still, so there is potential for, if not this government, future governments to take this on in a more serious and more committed way. I understand that there are arguments about funding that are always put, but I believe that this is one of the absolutely fundamental responsibilities.

There is a recommendation regarding child-care services for women undertaking counselling. (Extension of time granted.) That is an important recommendation for women. It does matter how much counselling we provide. If you are not taking child care into account in designing those counselling programs, you might as well not bother in some circumstances, because it is not possible for some women to organise child care. They cannot afford it.

This government closed the parent support service in O'Connor, which was unique in Canberra because it provided free child care for women and men attending programs in their little house there. That child care service was absolutely critical in getting particular groups of people to access those support services. It is a real shame and a concern if counselling services do not acknowledge the need to provide child care for parents, male or female.

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