Page 4137 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 18 November 2015
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Diversity ACT—funding
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Community Services. Diversity ACT is a community-based, not-for-profit organisation that supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex members of the Canberra community. Funding for DACT was announced in 2012, and later they were promised a demountable building. The government has cancelled their funding. I made a FOI request for documents relating to the funding and defunding of Diversity ACT and the charge for that FOI request was quoted as over $10,000. Minister, why did the ACT government cancel funding for Diversity ACT and who made that decision?
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Lawder for the question. The ACT government has been working with Diversity ACT to ensure that it is able to provide support services for LGBTIQ members in the ACT community. One way that the ACT government has responded to providing support is by establishing the ACT LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council.
On the question of funding of Diversity ACT, when this question was under consideration the government took the decision to stay the provision of funding for Diversity ACT based on advice from the LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council around broader issues of funding for this sector.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Lawder.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what happened to the demountable building that was promised by the government to Diversity ACT, and when will it be delivered?
MS BERRY: I will have to come back to the Assembly about what has happened to the demountable. The decision was made that Diversity ACT was not going to be provided with the demountable. But I will find out where—
Mr Coe: Or a container.
MS BERRY: the container and the demountable actually are.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, did you or a member of your staff or directorate telephone a member of the DACT board in relation to Ms Lawder’s FOI request, and, if so, what was the purpose of that call?
MS BERRY: Sorry, Madam Speaker, I might have to get Mr Smyth to start the question again; I did not quite catch it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, did you or a member of your staff or your directorate telephone a member of the DAT board in relation to Ms Lawder’s FOI request and, if so, what was the purpose of that call?
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