Page 1739 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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Mr Wall: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order.
MS BURCH: I am answering.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Minister Burch.
Mr Wall: I am going to get in early this time before the answer. I will get in early on a point of relevance again, Madam Speaker. Again, it was relating directly to Aspect or Aspire, not discussions that may have been held more broadly.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Wall did specifically mention two organisations and asked whether you or your department had spoken to them before this week, or words to that effect. So I do uphold the point of order, Minister Burch. Could you be directly relevant to the question.
MS BURCH: Thank you. I am answering the question. In addition to those broad conversations across many providers, it is my understanding that, as part of this market sounding, Aspect and Aspire have been spoken to. I am sure Mr Wall is going to jump and make reference to a representative from Aspire who spoke at the forum on Monday. She has since clarified that indeed she was wrong. We have been in contact through Aspire, through the chief executive officer, and she was not aware of that contact.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, what undertakings have Aspire or Aspect given to you or your officials that they have the ability to be operational by the end of the 2014 school year?
MS BURCH: I am not privy to those direct conversations. That is the purpose of market sounding, and that is also the purpose of some of the grants we are offering to community organisations in preparedness. There are grants valued from $20,000 up to $50,000 for organisations to help them be prepared. As I understand it, organisations are increasingly coming forward for access to those grants. I am quite happy to come back with an update about what organisations have accessed those grants to date, But that is directly to prepare those organisations and to work with those organisations and the national disability insurance agencies to make sure that organisations that have an interest in providing a whole range of service beyond early intervention—which is certainly a very important service—are prepared. The range of new providers and existing providers will certainly grow into the market.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, you have not answered the previous questions in totality. I hope you can take it on board as you have given an undertaking.
MADAM SPEAKER: Preamble, Mr Doszpot.
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