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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Thursday, 1 July 2004) . . Page.. 3162 ..

for advocacy on behalf of children and young people and looking at different ways children can participate in decisions that affect their lives.

I took offence at this when the shadow minister raised it in estimates and kept continually referring to an arrogant and ineffective bureaucratic structure. Mrs Burke alleges that phone calls do not get answers; people get nothing back; children are taken without explanation. That is a load of rubbish, frankly.

Mrs Burke: You’re accusing me of lying now?

MS GALLAGHER: It is a load of rubbish to say that children are taken out of their homes and away from their families without an explanation. I have not seen any example where that has occurred; I have not seen any example that you have indicated to me where that has occurred.

Mrs Burke: Are you accusing me of lying, then, Minister?

MS GALLAGHER: I am saying that I think it is ridiculous. I think your accusations are uneducated; I think you use them for political gain; and you do not have the evidence to support them.

Mr Pratt: Mr Speaker, under standing order 42, the minister should address her comments through the chair, not give Mrs Burke a lecture.

MS GALLAGHER: I’m responding to Mrs Burke who was interjecting. Sit down; you’re wasting my time.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Pratt, resume your seat. I have raised the issue of Mrs Burke interjecting. It is inappropriate for Mrs Burke to interject and it is out of order. It is also inappropriate to respond to the interjections; otherwise it gives them credibility.

MS GALLAGHER: Mr Speaker, I will go through the chair. One of the final points I would like to make is: I need to say that I believe Mrs Burke is playing quite a dangerous game and one that I have suffered from this week, where there are sides being taken in very difficult, very complex family situations, where there are breakdowns and a whole range of issues which impact on decisions where children are involved. By taking one side and giving people, I think, false hope in some instances—

Mrs Burke: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I think that comment is quite out of order and brings before this—

Mr Hargreaves: There’s no point of order.

Mrs Burke: The minister is making imputations, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Mrs Burke; this is a point of argument in a discussion of a matter of public importance about child protection services.

MS GALLAGHER: Anyway, I will leave it at that, because that is the point I wanted to make and I think the opposition have taken at least a minute out of my time with all their

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