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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Tuesday, 29 June 2004) . . Page.. 2999 ..

question. I appeared for four hours in estimates on this and not once did anyone ask me what the $6 million is for. I was prepared to answer in estimates; it is just that, at the end of 4½ hours, nobody had asked the question.

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Burke: Smokescreens and mirrors, I think we call it.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Burke and Mr Hargreaves!

MS GALLAGHER: The implementation of Vardon is very much underway. A newsletter has been sent out, and there are five working groups working very hard on prioritising the recommendations of Vardon. It is a very inclusive approach. I think there are representatives, depending on the working group, from most non-government agencies involved in the care and protection of children in the ACT. There are high-level public servants. I believe the Office of the Community Advocate is involved in one of the groups. Certainly the Children’s Services Council is involved. Those working groups are meeting once a week to work through the report.

When the report was released I said that the government provided initial response and would then seek advice from the department, through this process, of how to implement, and priorities to implement, Vardon. I originally said that that would take about a month. I think it is going to take a little bit longer than that, but when that information comes to the government, of course as we have been doing all along with this process, we will be making that information available to members.

Initially the advice around the $6 million was to continue adding staff to the child protection work force. At the moment there is a recruitment process underway overseas to strengthen early intervention and family support services and develop alternative accommodation options for children and young people. That was a strong recommendation that has been supported by a number of agencies about the lack of options for children, particularly children and young people who are difficult to place; to increase staff in services for children in the indigenous unit; to look at and fund ways for increased advocacy on behalf of children and young people; and also to establish the new office.

In a nutshell, that is where that money will be going. I thank you for asking the question. I have been waiting for it. I hoped I could have been asked that question in estimates, but the question was not asked. We will be providing a report to the Assembly once we get the advice. If members would like additional information about how that implementation is working—the working groups and members of the working groups—then I would be happy to provide that to members.

It is very important work. Ms Dundas has, I guess, thrown out the idea that there may be additional expenditure in this area. I have said all along that I cannot answer that either way but, certainly, Vardon’s recommendations come with significant costs attached. We will wait to receive advice on priorities and the implementation of the report before the government makes that decision.

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