Page 3251 - Week 10 - Thursday, 25 September 2014
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MADAM SPEAKER: Okay. A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, why is it reasonable for ACT residents to fund light rail but not reasonable to fund a convention centre?
MR BARR: ACT residents benefit greatly from investment in public transport. It is a key priority for this government.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
Dr Bourke: A point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: A point of order. Stop the clock.
Dr Bourke: Interjections from Mr Hanson are continually interrupting Mr Barr, which is contrary to standing orders and disorderly.
MADAM SPEAKER: There have been a lot of interjections. It is a judgement. Some people can talk over the interjections and some people find them distracting, and I have to draw the line. I did not think that the interjections—I did not hear the exact words—were particularly distracting. But members need to be mindful. If members are finding it distracting, you have to wind it back. So I will uphold the point of order that Dr Bourke has raised. While I have said over and over again that I believe this should be an animated chamber, if your interjections are such that they do distract people from their train of thought, you are going to have to come to order. Can you be mindful of that. I will call you to order, and when I call you to order I expect you to come to order. Minister Barr on the question of whether public transport is more important than a convention centre.
MR BARR: Yes, the government has indicated four key priorities for our infrastructure spend and our budget spend. They are health, education, public transport and the asbestos clean-up. They are our priorities for the next five years.
Disability services—respite facility
MS BERRY: My question is to the Minister for Disability. Minister, could you update the Assembly on the progress of the partnership with the Ricky Stuart Foundation to build a purpose-built respite facility for young people in the ACT and how this facility will meet the needs of young people and their families?
MS BURCH: I do thank Ms Berry for her question. I would be delighted to update the Assembly on the partnership with the Ricky Stuart Foundation. In June of this year the ACT government announced its partnership with the Ricky Stuart Foundation to build a new respite centre for primary school aged children with disability, including autism.
The new centre responds to the needs of Canberra families and their children. We are planning a six-bedroom centre that will provide short-term, two or three nights, respite for families with children with a disability and aged from five to 12 years. It
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