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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2371 ..
Mr Corbell
: Slashing, not thrashing.MR PRATT
: Thank you. What did I say?Mr Corbell
: Thrashing.MR PRATT
: That is what an opposition does late at night. I would like to see that being more regularly attended to. Going on from there-Mr Quinlan
: A good thrashing would do them no harm.MR PRATT
: I think there was something thrashing around in the undergrowth over there in the Treasury, Mr Speaker. Are the contracts being well looked after? Are they being supervised? Do we have sufficient quality assurance to ensure that the subcontractors carrying out these services are providing the contracted service?We on this side of the house continue to support privately contracted out maintenance services as opposed to departmental services because we think that they are more efficient. They are certainly cheaper and there is certainly less industrial strife with the use of those sorts of services, but they do have to be supervised. We have to make sure that the department has sufficient quality assurance measures in place to make sure that those capabilities are well looked after.
If I could just give one example-the green buffer immediately south of Monash, between Monash and Isabella Plains. That area has been constantly an eyesore. I have had people complain to me about it and I have written about it. It is not so much that it is a bit jungly down there. It is more to the point that often people find used needles and other rubbish and garbage there. That area is one where people take their dogs, and young children go to play. I think that that reflects a lack of care and that is something of which I would like to see DUS take more care. That is one example. That is the starkest example of an area that I think has been neglected and probably needs closer inspection and supervision.
Mr Speaker, if I may go on to the issue of student parking at Tuggeranong College. Some weeks ago, I was asked by an exasperated Tuggeranong College students council to come down and receive from them a petition. Yes, this issue has been discussed tonight, but there has also been a little bit of misrepresentation about it and I am going to set the record straight. I must say that this issue has been hovering around for about 12 months. I know that because the college raised it with me a long time ago and we talked publicly about the need to put in place a more equitable arrangement.
It is the only student body in the whole of the ACT which does not have free parking. That is a fact and it is something which needs to be rectified. I must say that the government have taken steps at least to do something about it, but they are moving very slowly on this issue. The three for free parking scheme is at least a start, but it is inadequate. You cannot go on for month after month with students saying that they simply cannot find a place close to the college to get to school on time; something needs to be done about it. It was against that background that I was very happy to go there and receive the petition. We support them wholeheartedly.
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