Page 432 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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The big one for us is respite for older carers and the ACT contribution to that. If we do not make provision in this supplementary appropriation, the commonwealth walks away, because this is matched funding. I can tell you that the cash deterioration in our services will represent $808,000, but the effect in the sector will be almost twice as much, and we just cannot allow that to happen. I commend this part of the budget to the house.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (9.39): Thank you, Mr Hargreaves, for that amount of detail. I think that is the most sharing he has been with information since I have been in this place.
Mr Hargreaves: Don’t get used to it, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Again, you make my case for me, Mr Hargreaves: this is only coming out because we are questioning what is going on. It should have been done appropriately through an estimates process so that we could explore this more.
I think members have spoken to this in a large way. We had a request to my office this morning from a group that is not currently delivering services. They asked how they could access some of this funding. I have a response from your chief of staff, minister, in which she said:
The department is not anticipating that additional community organisations will seek to access the funding. However, this can be looked into on a case-by-case basis if requested by an organisation.
I understand my office has given you the details of that organisation. I hope that you will look at it favourably. It may be the case that there are other organisations out there working with those in need, or volunteers or carers, who are not currently on your list. I would just like to know whether or not, rather than just looking at it on a case-by-case basis, there is the ability to mention this in a proactive way to all organisations so that they might share in this as well. Obviously, not everyone is going to the services that you currently fund. If that could be taken on board, it would be appreciated.
Subclauses 7(11) and 7(12) agreed to.
Subclauses 7(13) and 7(14).
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (9.40): I refer to the line item for the $2.17 million transitional costs for the Alexander Maconochie Centre. I assume that “transitional costs” means something like “we mismanaged the process and opened it late costs”, but I do get confused about whether the facility is actually open or not. We had a lively debate about that yesterday. I certainly look forward to my visit to that facility on Monday. I will be able, three months after the facility was opened, to have a look at the facility.
Unfortunately, there will be no prisoners there, which, on the plus side, certainly ensures, as the government wants, that it will be human rights compliant. If there are
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