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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 170 ..

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Minister, have you failed to meet what you described as one of your major goals in the budget?

MR QUINLAN: I think I have answered that. I have tried to explain, as I stated in relation to Mr Hargreaves's question, that I do expect some difficulty in getting the information out, but will be doing my best to let people know the difference between budget policy, revenue generation and expenditure control within the territory, and the influence of having something like a billion dollars out there floating in the market ether.

Youth drop-in centre

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Youth. Minister, late last year, the youth drop in centre at Narrabundah was closed, leaving no after-hours youth programs in the inner south. I believe this was a decision made jointly by your department and the Woden youth services. Minister, can you please inform us: were young people who use the service consulted in the making of that decision, and was the Ministerial Youth Advisory Council included in the process?

MS GALLAGHER: I will have to take that on notice. I do not have any information at the moment.

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. I thank you for taking that question on notice, Minister. Given that there is now a lack of after-hours drop-in services throughout all of Canberra, will you be consulting with young people about the need for after-hours youth services across Canberra and reporting back to the Assembly on the outcomes of such consultations?

MS GALLAGHER: Yes, I am happy to do that.

Bushfire relief

MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. Mr Quinlan, in response to Mr Corbell's question in this place yesterday, and in the media, you estimated that the cost to the territory of bushfires would be approximately $19 million. As it happens, the Treasurer's Advance for this year was $19.4 million, for use in urgent and unforeseen circumstances. Has the government used the Treasurer's Advance to meet any of the costs arising from the bushfire, and does it intend to use the Treasurer's Advance for that purpose?

MR QUINLAN: You know how I like my Treasurer's Advance! As we are only halfway through the year, I think it would be prudent for us to bring forward an appropriation bill, which I shall do tomorrow. All the time we have been involved in expenditures as a result of the fires, I have sought assurances from the Treasury that we are covered by appropriation-or that we are covered in some way. A small amount of the Treasurer's Advance has been applied to immediate relief because there was no particular appropriation for that. We will be bringing forward an appropriation bill tomorrow.

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