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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Wednesday, 10 March 2004) . . Page.. 1024 ..

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (6.13): Mr Speaker, I do not wish to speak for long. I just wish to indicate that the government does not support Ms Tucker’s amendment to my amendment to remove the word “continue”. I think to remove the word “continue” from “to properly and extensively consult” is a reflection on the absolutely exemplary consultation that has been part and parcel of the decision to move to this transition phase and to close the recovery centre.

I honestly believe—and I believe deeply—that it is an unjustified attack on the work that the recovery centre has done to consult and take its full complement of clients into account. There have been 1,000 face-to-face consultations—1,000 personal consultations—by staff at the recovery centre with their client group. Everybody who is a client of the recovery centre has been contacted—1,000 of them have been contacted personally to have issues around the transition and the closure of the centre explained to them in detail, the implications for them and—

MR SPEAKER: Mr Stanhope, if I can just interrupt. I think I heard you say that you were speaking to Ms Tucker’s amendment. She has not moved it yet.

MR STANHOPE: I am speaking to the amendments—

MR SPEAKER: You can speak to Mrs Dunne’s.

MR STANHOPE: And I am speaking to Ms Tucker’s anticipated amendment, and I cannot accept it. I cannot accept the reflection that it actually imposes on staff of the recovery centre, to whom the government has delegated the responsibility for consulting with the community. The government has responded to a unanimous recommendation of the community and expert reference group. Who is on the community and expert reference group that recommended to the government—

MR SPEAKER: I think you will have to remain relevant to Mrs Dunne’s amendment.

MR STANHOPE: I will remain relevant to the motion.

MR SPEAKER: You will have a chance to come back to Ms Tucker’s amendment.

MR STANHOPE: I will just repeat the points that I made previously in speaking to the amendments and to the motion. Who is on the community and expert reference group that recommended unanimously to the government that it was time to move into this transition phase? Mr David Dawes, chairman and executive director of the Master Builders Association; Ms Karla Ries, a member of the Duffy Primary School Parents and Citizens Association, a resident of Duffy and a member of the Phoenix Association; Ms Joanne Matthews, a Kambah resident and a member of the Kambah residents group, who lost her home; Dr Tony Griffin, a rural lessee; Mr Jeff Carl, president of the Weston Creek Community Council; Ms Catherine Townsend of the Institute of Architects; Mr Peter Malone, executive of Unions ACT; Ms Trish Harrup, the chief executive officer of the Conservation Council; and Mr Daniel Stubbs, the chief executive of the ACT Council of Social Service, believe it is time to close the centre and move on.

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