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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Friday, 14 May 2004) . . Page.. 1987 ..

$5.9 million didn’t occur last year; therefore it’s a new initiative.” I think that is a rather doubtful argument.

To return to the issue of community services in this context, there is no apparent increase in the budget for organisations such as YWCA and Shelter that do an enormous amount of work linking the government to service providers and tenants, as well as contributing ceaselessly to policy development. CEAS now has ongoing funding—$1.6 million over four years—to provide emergency housing referral information. This is really good to see, as it has provided a valuable service in assisting people locate emergency housing beds. However, there is a need for centralised housing information that assists people to locate housing appropriate to their needs. Currently the contact details and nature of supported accommodation services are not accessible to those outside the sector.

I turn now to the prison. Just as a stand-alone comment, I would like to say the government’s commitment to restorative justice is fantastic, but the intention to build a large prison demonstrates in a way a lack of faith in that project. As to human rights, another interesting contradiction is in the Human Rights Act, with an allocation to assist in its implementation on the one hand compared to the government’s present preparedness to sacrifice appeal rights and any other considerations of due process in the face of the political and electoral imperatives of being seen to deliver the Gungahlin Drive extension.

In relation to industry, I am sorry that the Chief Minister has not, as I said, stood up to the federal government’s decision to not fund the Photonics and Solar cooperative research centres. I have already spoken about that at length. I have also mentioned a minor concern that we do not see real initiatives to deal with long-term unemployment, particularly of unskilled people in our community. The government might respond to that, “You stop asking us to pull back forestry.” I am acknowledging that that is an issue and that that is the place where we have jobs for people who are not skilled, but it cannot be used as an excuse to sacrifice water catchment.

On disabilities, I am concerned over the focus on the medical model of care for the most vulnerable people in our community and I do not think respite care has been adequately addressed. It is pleasing to see that $1.25 million has been allocated to addressing unmet need for people with disabilities. I notice that this amount is primarily for people with high and complex needs. This money is warranted; however, there is always a need for more money for people with disabilities who are not defined as having a high need.

I am also concerned about and interested to know—maybe it is in the budget; I have not had a chance to look—of the money that has been allocated for people with unmet needs, how the government is supporting provision of therapy services for children who have disabilities. We know that therapeutic support given to schoolchildren in the early stages of school has very long-term beneficial results for the rest of their lives. It is well documented that, even though there has been a restructure of the therapy services provided by CHADS, there is an undersupply and huge pressure on therapy services in the ACT. That has come out at inquiry after inquiry and I am still not reassured that that has been dealt with.

Meeting people’s care needs within their home and at an earlier stage may prevent the need for more funding at a later stage. Person centred care for people that can be

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