Page 2543 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 23 August 2006
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MR SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister’s time has expired.
MRS BURKE: I have a supplementary question. I thank the Chief Minister for his response and I note his particular interest in this issue. Chief Minister, what resources and infrastructure will the government commit to and make available to the Ainslie Village complex after the Red Cross arrangements, which I understand are only to be in place for nine months, to assist with the positive move to independent living arrangements?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Mrs Burke for the supplementary question, as it gives me an opportunity to conclude the point that I was making. The minister can respond more fully in terms of her own thinking, but I can relay conversations that I have had with the minister in relation to her determination to monitor closely the transition and the implementation of this policy.
The minister is acutely aware of the vulnerability of some of the residents of Ainslie Village and of the prospect of some of them not responding to the personalised and detailed life skills training with which it is proposed that each of the residents be provided. The government proposes to provide a significant level of support during the transition. The minister, as I say, is acutely aware of that. We have committed $60,000 for life skills training to ensure that people do have the skills to support themselves through the preparation of meals.
I know that the minister has continuing concerns about whether all of the residents of Ainslie Village will respond to that life skills training to the extent that they will be self-sufficient. We are aware of that and sensitive to it. If the minister has any continuing concern that some residents simply have not responded to the life skills training and have not developed the skills necessary to support themselves through the production or provision of meals for themselves, the government will, of course, respond to that in relation to the potential to continue a meal service in some form.
We will not abandon the residents of this community housing site. I think that each of us is aware—and I do not wish to overgeneralise it and I do not wish to patronise any of the residents—of the life circumstance and situation of many of the residents there. The minister is particularly and acutely sensitive to their needs and to the potential that, if some of the residents do not respond to the life skills training to the extent that, at this stage, we hope they will, of course we will have to reassess the extended, continuing meal support for Ainslie Village, but we will not walk way from that.
I did, I think, go to the other aspect of your supplementary question, Mrs Burke. I am sure that the minister would be more than happy to facilitate a full briefing on all of the government’s proposals in relation to Ainslie Village if you were interested in that.
Mrs Burke: Yes, certainly. Thank you, Chief Minister.
Planning—EpiCentre lease
MR PRATT: My question is to the Minister for Planning and relates to the sale of the EpiCentre site. Last night on WIN news, you said that the inquiry made by ING was
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