Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 2 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 362 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

A motion proposing a board of inquiry led by Professor Roger West was subsequently put to the Assembly and passed on 18 October 2000. On 5 December 2000 the then government appointed a board of inquiry under section 5 of the Inquiries Act 1991 to inquire into and report on the services for people with a disability in residential care in the ACT. The Hon. Justice John Gallop was appointed to conduct the inquiry. The terms of reference were amended on 20 December 2000 to better recognise the existence of the coroner's related inquiries and the need to ensure that those proceedings would not be affected.

Following a directions hearing in December 2000, public hearings were held between January 2001 and July 2001, involving 76 public hearing days, while 119 written submissions were received. The board of inquiry was initially required to report by 31 May 2001, but the range of issues identified by the inquiry and the extent of participation by interested parties meant that this deadline could not be met. The final report was made available to the government on 18 December 2001.

An interim report, focusing on the circumstances of the three deaths, was completed and presented by the board of inquiry to the previous government on 1 June 2001. The interim report was not released, pending the outcome of the coroner's concurrent investigations into these deaths. Following the release of the coroner's findings in relation to one of the deaths, the parts of the interim report relating to that case were released by the previous government. While the coroner's inquiries continue in relation to the other two deaths, the ACT Government Solicitor has advised that the release of the remaining parts of the interim report will not adversely impact upon the coroner's inquiries.

The last 16 months have been difficult for everyone involved with disabilities, not least the families of those who died, and other clients, their families, guardians and carers. I would like to acknowledge the substantial efforts of the people and organisations that contributed to the inquiry's deliberations. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Mr Gallop and his staff for their work in the preparation of the inquiry report.

The key questions now are how to best address the issues raised and, more importantly, how to make a genuine difference to the lives and aspirations of these more vulnerable members of our community as well as to their families and carers. These are questions not only for government, the Assembly and our public institutions but also for those in care, for the wider disability sector and for all Canberrans. The inquiry report presents a substantial argument for change in the way disability services are provided.

The government accepts the need for change and seeks to move forward on the recommendations for the reform of disability services. We have established a framework to work in partnership with the community and to consider and implement change jointly. To provide specific responses today to the inquiry's recommendations would be to pre-empt the extensive consultative and expert advice process that I have established. This process must be allowed to proceed in an open, accountable and consultative way. I will provide a comprehensive response to the Assembly in the September sittings. This response will detail the government's position on each finding and recommendation and provide a progress report on the implementation of reform.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .