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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Wednesday, 11 February 2004) . . Page.. 195 ..

our eyes on the ball. That was a very good thing. The main thing is a planning issue. We must not forget it.

I fully support the motion put forward by Mr Smyth. Mrs Cross is going to be talking about hers, too. But I urge the government to revisit their strategy. Do they have one? What is the plan? Perhaps they will let people know what they are going to do and not just spring it on people at Christmas. I call on the minister not to impose his arrogant approach to planning on residents and then turn around and blame them. I will be supporting Mr Smyth’s motion as I will be supporting the residents of Fadden and Macarthur in their fight to have fair, open and honest consultation.

Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.

Sitting suspended from 12.23 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Child protection

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Attorney-General, Mr Stanhope. Minister, on 8 September the Office of the Community Advocate sent you its annual report. On page 33, the report stated:

In 2002-03, despite a statutory obligation to do so, Family Services failed to inform the OCA about any of the reports they received alleging the abuse or neglect of a child or young person for whom they held parental responsibility.

Despite a number of guarantees by Family Services, this issue remains unaddressed and of significant concern to the OCA.

The Community Advocate made similar comments the year before. The report’s letter of transmittal is addressed to you as Attorney-General. Why did you fail to act on this vital information?

MR STANHOPE: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. It is an important and an interesting question in the context of the three reports from the Office of the Community Advocate. The first of those covered that year when the current shadow Attorney was the Attorney and when the report was received by him. That was at a time, of course, when he was also the Minister for Education and for youth and family services, so it is an interesting question.

Mr Stefaniak: It was in the caretaker period, Jon.

MR STANHOPE: Indeed, as the inquiry which my government has now initiated into these issues considers the full range of issues that are relevant to our need to determine exactly how there was this significant failure or breakdown in communication draws its conclusions and delivers its report, I think there are many issues that we, each of us, should focus on. Of course—and I am sure that the Leader of the Opposition is aware of this—in the committee’s deliberations that then followed the tabling of those reports and

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