Page 334 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
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comment, Mrs Dunne, about a decrease per capita in fact is not quite right because in the same table that you choose to look at—and I do not have the table in front of me—the overall total per capita for child protection, intensive family support and out-of-home care has increased.
MRS DUNNE: A supplementary question, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, if it is the case, as you claim, that other data can demonstrate an increase in expenditure, can you provide for the Assembly the evidence of that and a reconciliation between that data and the data provided by the review of government services and why there is a discrepancy?
MS BURCH: I would direct Mrs Dunne and the Canberra Liberals to the annual report for 2010-11, expenditure at output 4.2, where we will see a 5.9 per cent increase in services. If the question is “is this government investing in the care and protection of our front-line services?”, go to the annual report and you will see an increase.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, the question was not “is this government investing?” The question was “can the minister reconcile that?”
MR SPEAKER: Minister Burch, do you wish to add anything?
MS BURCH: The ROGS data is full of caveats to just about each and every table. The comparison of apples to apples is not necessarily clear. Some jurisdictions just do not provide the data. I stand by the claim. If you want to see what this government is expending by investing in care and protection, you go to the annual report.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Minister, is your government’s falling per capita expenditure reflective of the systemic failings we are seeing in the ACT’s care and protection system?
MS BURCH: We do not have falling expenditure. It was quite interesting this morning that we had this wave of indignation about “you can’t call people names”. What has Mrs Dunne said? “This is not a government response. This is a cover-up of unconscionable behaviour of care and protection workers.” Those are your comments. That is you attacking the public service, the people that—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Minister Burch! Let us come to the question. Mr Seselja’s question was very specific and clear.
MS BURCH: There is no reduction in expenditure in care and protection.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary.
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