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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 683 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

the non-government providers properly but then said it would cost too much. The point is, costs could be less than those of the disability program.

I would like to briefly remind the government of the Education Committee report, No 3, of the last Assembly-educational services for students with a disability. If we want to ensure people with a disability are as independent as possible as adults, the support therapy and education they receive as they grow is critical. As I am sure the government is well aware, recently there has been more disturbing evidence regarding the lack of support when it comes to therapy for children with a disability.

The final point I make is that the Disability Reform Group has been wound up. I urge the government, when they decide exactly how this more fragmented system is to work, to keep an eye on it and make sure the community is comfortable with how it works. I know people are open-minded about it. Some people are concerned, and others are thinking it might work. I think it would be good if the government kept in touch with the community as to how it is working. I appreciate the fact that they gave the Disability Reform Group that freedom and independence. It did a lot to inspire confidence in the community.

MS DUNDAS (5.37): It is six months since the government response to the Gallop inquiry was tabled in this chamber. What has happened in the past six months? As Ms Tucker has indicated, the Disability Reform Group was wrapped up and the new Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services has been running for almost a year. However, there are many things on which we are still waiting for more information.

The government response included in it the reform and action strategy for disability services in the ACT 2002-2005, entitled Steps to Reform. Within that was an example of the reform activities in draft form. I have searched my memory and I do not believe the Assembly has seen a non-draft form of these key reform activities. It would be good to have that information, to be able to keep track as the department and the sector move through these key step of reform-to see that we are keeping pace with the timetable that has been set.

We are still waiting on a number of key issues. One of the key recommendations the government agreed to pick up, in its own way, was the establishment of a disability services commissioner, to have oversight of service standards. We are still awaiting the outcome of the review the government initiated into all statutory bodies, complaints commissioners and the like in the ACT. I assume that is why we are still waiting for the establishment of a disability services commissioner.

We are still waiting for the amendments to the Disability Services Act which, I note from the government's response to the Gallop report, we should expect within this month. Hopefully, they will be clear and responsive to what the community is calling for, and to what is indicated in the Gallop inquiry needs reform.

As to other key areas on which we need more information, the government strongly supported the need for liaison between government agencies, and the need for a whole-of-government approach to working with people with a disability. They agreed to set up a memorandum of understanding across the departments. These agreements will be in

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