Page 45 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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MRS DUNNE: Minister, why is there such low expenditure on intensive family support programs, at basically $20 per head, if you say that you are so interested in early intervention?
MS BURCH: I do ask those opposite to look to the annual report about expenditure in care and protection and out-of-home care services and across our early intervention. It is quite clear—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MS BURCH: If you look at the ROGS report you will see, across a number of the tables, a number of states do not even provide any data, Mrs Dunne. But that, I am sure, escapes your attention. Our expenditure across this is increasing over time. I invite those opposite to come to one of our hallmark and grand aspects of our early intervention—the West Belconnen child and family centre, which I think is in the electorate of Ginninderra.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, can you advise why the total expenditure per investigation in the ACT was the second lowest recorded in Australia at $6,105 compared with other jurisdictions which range from $7,758 to $13,634 per investigation?
MS BURCH: You would appreciate that I do not have the components of each and every one of those financial markets, but suffice to say that I think I have said here over the last couple of minutes that expenditure within our annual report for care and protection and out-of-home care services has moved from just over $42 million to over $45 million. Now that in any way, shape or form shows that this government is investing in those vulnerable children.
Political parties—donations
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Attorney General. Attorney-General, in the Assembly on 29 June 2011, you said in relation to the Electoral (Donation Limit) Amendment Bill that this bill is “to block an unidentified event that may or may not occur and which has no substance in fact”. In the annual report of the Canberra Labor Club for 2010-11, there are a number of references to the transfer of property from the club to the ACT branch of the Australian Labor Party after the end of the financial year. The report states:
A bill has been submitted to the ACT Legislative Assembly which would limit donations to political parties in excess of $50000 with effect from 1 July 2011. It is proposed that amounts donated in excess of this amount would attract penalties. Accordingly, if the proposed legislation is passed unamended, the Company would be subject to penalties. The possible penalties are yet to be quantified.
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