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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 2 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 398 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

preparing a response to this report" and then say, "I want to know today whether or not you accept the report," is just bunkum, and you know it is bunkum.

You expect me to stand up today and say, "Yes, I accept all 50 recommendations and I accept all 93 findings." I have put this process in place. I have appointed an 11-person committee. I have engaged the leading Australian expert on disability services delivery. I have established an office of disability. But you want me to stand up here and say, "Yes, it is all done. Don't worry about it." What bunkum!

MR PRATT: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Perhaps I can get closer to the target on this. Chief Minister, the previous government normally tried to respond to reports within three months. How strong is your commitment, given that you will take nine months to respond to this report?

Mr Hargreaves: Thirty seconds ago you wanted it today.

MR STANHOPE: That is right. That is a very interesting point. The question asked me to respond today. It wanted the response now, this minute. I was being impliedly criticised because I would not stand up here and declare my absolute support for every recommendation and finding, and now I am too slow. Now that there is acceptance that I am engaging the community because I want a response that deals consistently and rigorously with the issues that are raised in the Gallop report, all of a sudden I am taking too long and we are dragging our feet.

What I promised yesterday was that in the September sitting we would provide a detailed response to each of the recommendations. That is what I will do. I also promised that I will bring to this place an annual report of progress with implementation of the recommendations of the report as per the response which the government eventually delivers as a result of the collaborative approach which we have constructed through the framework I have announced. That is what we are doing. That is what we are concentrating on.

I am concerned to ensure that we do this properly. I am concerned to ensure that we develop for the disabled people in this community a service delivery framework that ensures that this community, to the extent that this community can do it, will deliver the best possible services to the people with a disability that live within this community and are of this community. That is what I am determined to do, and I am determined to do it right. I am not going to be stampeded into it, and I am not going to be intimidated out of the processes we have put in place, which have been generally applauded and which you seem to take such serious objection to.

Strategic transport plan

MS DUNDAS: My question is to the Minister for Planning. I remind the minister of the motion that the Assembly passed in December calling upon the government to develop a territory-wide integrated transport plan. I now seek a proposed format and time line. When do you see this plan being completed and will the process include genuine community consultation and debate?

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