Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Wednesday, 31 March 2004) . . Page.. 1442 ..

few years and that is why I wanted to read out that position from the Youth Coalition, because this work, this consultation, has been going on for too long.

There was a youth in crisis forum here this morning, which involved, among others, a number of young people who are entangled with the criminal justice system, and the topic of safety at night was raised by a number of those attending. The need for some model of a night shelter—and I want to stress that this motion does not lock us into a particular model—was raised. I think we do have to look fairly closely at the needs and situation of young people to determine that. Typically, though, we are talking about young people who are subject to orders to reside; they are no longer accepted at refuges; refuges often will not take kids on orders; and the refuges cannot cope, which is understandable. And it is not necessarily going to be possible at home either. Marlow often will not take them, for understandable reasons.

Basically they end up on an order, the orders end up being breached and they are put into Quamby. Sometimes people end up in Quamby just overnight. If members are not aware what that entails, I can tell you it is not like booking into a hotel. If you are going into Quamby overnight you are strip-searched. It is a very traumatic process, but we know that that is what is happening at the moment. It is the only accommodation for these particular types of kids.

I am trying to stress here that a night shelter is not just for kids who are out late or something. The need is actually much more complex than that, if Mrs Burke does not mind my saying that. It is. You have to acknowledge that there are a number of young people in our community who will use this, and they are kids who are really quite vulnerable. This need has been clearly expressed over the years.

The other thing I would just like to say here too about Quamby is that we are told quite often that there are always exit plans for kids when they leave Quamby, but that is not what we are hearing from young people, particularly those kids who are just in there for a night in these sorts of circumstances. I would have to say that what is happening in Quamby is a serious failing because clearly an exit plan deals with something as basic as where you will sleep tonight. Some kind of overnight shelter with attached services does seem to me to be a reasonable call based on real information.

I have heard what Mr Wood has said. He is concerned about the budget process and he does not feel that it is realistic to say it has to be a high priority for 2004-05. As Ms Dundas pointed out, it is the case that the Treasurer usually, in his opinion on this issue, does say that there is a capacity for budget to be worked out right up to the last moment, even though that may not be Mr Wood’s opinion of the process. I guess it is a matter of the importance that is given to the issue. I sympathise if Mr Wood does not have that opinion, but by passing this motion we would be supporting the importance of a night shelter. Hopefully, that would mean that it would be given high priority by the Treasurer.

On the point of it being disrespectful of the process of the current communication with young people and the consultancy: I would just say again, as I have already said, that the need is well and truly established. We are asking only that it be made a high priority, and I feel perfectly comfortable actually supporting that because I think it should be a high

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .