Page 5546 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2011
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MS BURCH: There are over 100 properties that support places for children to be cared for. What the Canberra Liberals seem to be inferring is that Barnardos, a well-regarded organisation, failed to provide adequate and suitable accommodation for those in their care. I think that is a bit of a slight on Barnardos, and I do not hold that view. There are two properties among many, many properties across the territory where there were matters to be improved on. Housing ACT responds to maintenance requests. I encourage all out-of-home care providers who have properties to put those maintenance requests in.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Minister, why are you prepared to allow vulnerable, at-risk children to be accommodated in places where care is provided but which are not approved as places of care and which clearly do not comply with the out-of-home care standards?
MS BURCH: We have heard of two properties today—one where the stove was less than adequately maintained as far as being able to use its handle, and another property that had some problems with its electricity supply, with its power box, and its hot-water system. In regard to the stove in one of those two properties amongst many, the maintenance has been fixed. Once we were alerted to that, that has been fixed. In regard to the other, a hot-water service, once it was brought to our attention, has been replaced. The electricity is being remedied. The broken window—that can happen at any time to any property anywhere in Canberra.
Canberra Institute of Technology and Australian Education Union—enterprise bargaining negotiations
MS PORTER: My question is to Minister Barr as minister for education. Can he update the Assembly on where negotiations between CIT and the AEU are up to on their EBA? There are a lot of acronyms in that, aren’t there?
MR BARR: I am pleased to report that the Canberra Institute of Technology and the Australian Education Union have reached an agreed position in their 2011-13 enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations. The next stage in the process now is a CIT teaching staff vote on the draft EBA document, expected to be conducted in mid-December. Subject to a majority vote of support it is expected that staff payment will occur in February-March of 2012. This is good news for the CIT and for teaching staff, who can continue to deliver high quality tertiary and vocational education to students. The two-year agreement includes two salary adjustments of 3.5 per cent, the first applying from 18 August this year and the second from 1 July 2012.
I would like to thank the CIT and the dedicated teachers and staff who have made a significant contribution to vocational education and training in the territory. Proof of this can be seen in the ACT’s recent strong performance in the COAG Reform Council report. In both 2009 and 2010 the ACT, compared to other jurisdictions, had the lowest proportion of 20 to 64-year-olds without a certificate III level qualification or above, the highest proportion of VET course completions at certificate III level or above, the highest proportion of VET graduates employed after completing training,
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