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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Tuesday, 29 June 2004) . . Page.. 2858 ..

recognise and to act upon the need to streamline the provision of aged care facilities in this territory. It is interesting that the government’s response to the Estimates Committee states that:

… a Case Manager commenced work in January 2004. The Case Manager continues to work with agencies and an interdepartmental committee of senior executives to provide a coordinated interagency approach to aged persons’ accommodation projects and strategy development. This will continue to include a focus on streamlining planning approval and land grant processes in a way that meets the accommodation needs of older Canberrans whilst maintaining the character of residential neighbourhoods.

What a lovely string of words. What does it mean? Business as usual, nothing practical going on: no holes being dug, no bricks being laid, no mortar being mixed. We are still continuing to include a focus on streamlining planning approval and land grant processes. I repeat, these are words strung together. We have seen no evidence whatsoever of any tangible practical progress in this matter.

However, some $335,000 is allocated for something called an ageing initiative. I had a breakdown of that $335,000. I am not opposed to the concept, but it seems to me that we are losing sight of what is really important in the ageing area. The establishment of an ACT seniors expo, or seniors award enhancements, enhancing seniors week, worthy as that funding may be, does not seem to me to be as necessary as providing the bricks and mortar facilities that we need to accommodate our elderly residents, and which we have needed for the 2½ years of this government. I will not hold my breath for this provision.

I turn briefly now to children, youth and family support, particularly the child protection area. This is another sad failure of this government. I have repeatedly raised in the Assembly the failure to mandatory report bringing no penalties. Today I have received from the Chief Minister yet another cop-out in relation to Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy. Every time we attempt to address these problems, we run into privacy concerns. Now, this is interesting. We run into privacy concerns, as you well know, Minister.

Ms Gallagher: Yes, for good reason.

MR CORNWELL: Well, thank you, I acknowledge your comment—good reason. The point I make is that you have to be very careful when you introduce these things that they do not become excuses for inaction. Privacy has its place but action on child abuse and action against people who do not report has its place as well. I do not believe you can hide behind a smokescreen of privacy legislation. This is the equivalent to the excuses often used about commercial in confidence. It is the same type of theme. It is used to prevent action being taken and properly being taken in a whole raft of areas.

I remain extremely concerned about this problem of dealing with people who fail to mandatorily report. I am equally concerned about matters that concern this Munchausen’s syndrome. I am sick to death of this government continually covering up people who have failed to follow through in the law or who have failed to address the issues concerning mandatory reporting. It is simply not acceptable that we should be using this excuse all the time. I notice this falls within the Chief Minister’s purview, and I hope that greater consideration will be given to this in future. Otherwise I fear that you

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