Page 2135 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 May 2009
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significantly reduce the longer term disabilities associated with conditions such as autism and related conditions. However, these programs need to follow through when children reach school age, where services are limited and skilled assistance for teachers and parents can be long delayed.
The increased funding for care packages for those people with high needs provides a basis to honour the human rights of some of our most disadvantaged citizens. They also provide potential reassurance for the ageing parents of people with multiple disabilities. Often these older people have lived their lives caring for their now adult and even middle-aged children and are now experiencing physical frailties themselves. The main concern for the Greens is that the limited funds will be inadequate to meet the important needs of this growing group.
The establishment of the companion card as part of the national initiative to enable people with disabilities who require an attendant to attend various events and venues without incurring the cost of a second ticket for their attendant is also extremely welcome.
Increased provision for the aged care and rehabilitation service over the next four years is of benefit to older people in our community who require specialised health care. Funding for the construction and operation of the Tuggeranong over 55 club and $62,000 over four years for the seniors grant program encourages the participation of older people in the Canberra community.
However, the amount allocated each year to the wellbeing of our older people is very limited. Given the proportion of our population that are ageing and the desire to encourage increased health and social participation by our ageing citizens, the Greens would hope to see a greater expansion of these services in the future.
With regard to industrial relations, the ACT government’s commitment to increasing paid maternity leave will deliver social and economic benefits to all sides. Parents and their newborns will be able to have a more secure start together and the ACT public service will be seen as an employer of choice.
On corrections, I am disappointed that the government has not funded as a priority community organisations to provide through-care and after-care services to the AMC population. Through-care and after-care are extremely important if we are to decrease the rate of reoffending. At present, services can only be provided to a person until the point where their parole order ends. A community organisation, however, can maintain a relationship with the ex-prisoner and ensure they are receiving the appropriate services.
I note that there will be a through-care forum on 14 May. However, six weeks after the AMC received detainees and some eight months after its official opening, we do not yet have a plan of how the ACT government will deliver through-care and after-care services in conjunction with community organisations in a manner which minimises duplication. We need a whole-of-government approach to deliver through-care for it to be successful and to have a real impact.
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