Page 5182 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 18 November 2009
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MR SPEAKER: I would have expected you to have been quicker, Mr Stanhope; you are very experienced.
Mr Stanhope: I am seeking clarification, again. I assume that you have subsequently ruled Ms Porter’s supplementary question out of order. I am just asking you in terms of your count of the number of supplementary questions, is that counted as a question, the fact that you ruled it out of order?
Mr Hanson: If she’d gone over the—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Stanhope has the floor.
Mr Stanhope: This is a reasonable and legitimate issue for clarification. Having ruled the supplementary question out of order, is that taken into account in the number of supplementary questions you allow in relation to a particular question?
MR SPEAKER: One moment. Mr Stanhope, let me seek clarification on that. As part of trying to ensure that we have evenness, we are keeping a record. I will check whether we have been counting those or not. What I would say is that there is not really a specific quota per day; there is a broad quota where I try to keep an even hand. But the fact that Ms Porter has had a question ruled out of order does not preclude her necessarily on a specific day, if that helps clarify what you are asking.
Mr Stanhope: There’s an unlimited number?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stanhope, there is not an unlimited number; there is a broad balance that I am trying to stick to. What you will find so far is that, in fact, we are almost to the question keeping a fairly even balance in proportion to the numbers in the Assembly. Ms Hunter, your question.
MS HUNTER: My question is to the Minister for Community Services. Minister, I have recently been advised of federal and ACT government cuts to funding which will result in cuts to services provided by the Gungahlin Regional Community Service to disabled young people who are currently participating in the link to life and G club programs. Why were these funds discontinued, and are you meeting with Gungahlin Regional Community Service and the families of the disabled young people to discuss how funding can be continued for these vital services?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her question on the Gungahlin Regional Community Service. My understanding is that parents of young people with a disability who attend programs run by the Gungahlin Regional Community Service have been advised by the centre that programs will be reduced by January 2010 due to an anticipated loss of funding. This particularly relates to the G club, formerly known as the warehouse club, an after-hours and vocation program for young people with a disability.
The main issues, Ms Hunter, facing the Gungahlin Regional Community Service relate to funding that is currently being provided by the commonwealth government.
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