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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 08 Hansard (Tuesday, 3 August 2004) . . Page.. 3323 ..

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, to clarify, the question was: will the new multicultural centre provide a dedicated support service for women?

MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, it is true, as the member indicated in her question, that the Liberal Party has chosen to defund a women’s advocacy group within the ACT. It is relevant that we look and focus on the pettiness of that decision and the fact—

Mr Smyth: The hackles are up!

MR STANHOPE: No, the hackles are not up; it is simply a statement of fact that the Liberal Party defunded it, I think to the tune of $7,000—that is what we are talking about here.

Mr Smyth: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the member has already raised a matter, but that is not the question she asked. She asked whether or not it would be in the new multicultural centre. The Chief Minister avoids answering it; he does not want to answer.

MR SPEAKER: Come to the point of the question.

MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker, I will. As I say—

Mr Quinlan: It is necessary background.

MR STANHOPE: That’s right; it is quite relevant. We need to understand what we are dealing with here. We are dealing here with a decision of the Liberal Party to defund a multicultural women’s group. We are now dealing with the result of—

MR SPEAKER: Can we come to the point of the question?

MR STANHOPE: We are now dealing with the question, which is: will the ACT Labor government pick up a removal of funding by the Commonwealth of multicultural women? Of course, we will do everything within our power, in the context of the next budget, to ensure that women within multicultural groups in the ACT are not abandoned, as they have been by the Liberal Party.

Mr Smyth: On a point of order: you directed him to come to the answer to the question, not go on with these tirades. He has abused you; he refuses to acknowledge the authority of the chair.

MR SPEAKER: He did come to the question.

MS DUNDAS: Thank you, for the appropriate action, Mr Speaker. Minister, will the new multicultural centre provide a dedicated support service for women? Considering that you just indicated that you will do everything you can in the next budget to support the Multicultural Women’s Advocacy Service, will you be doing any work to ensure that there is no break in advocacy services for multicultural women between now and the undetermined time in the future when they may or may not receive ACT government support?

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