Page 392 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 14 February 2017
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cease funding at the end of the current MOU and to move towards the end of the industry. We are in a range of conversations with people involved in the industry and involved in animal welfare, and there are a number of transition package matters being worked through at the moment. As those things come to fruition, we will be speaking more with people in the industry about how it is that we can move to the end of the industry.
MR PARTON: Minister, can you clarify whether it will be illegal to hold greyhound races in the ACT after your proposed “transition” period?
MR RAMSAY: The issue is that, as we end the industry, we are working with the industry as to what the various transition matters are. We have announced, and we are working within that, what it will mean. What it will mean is that we will get to that transition time and we will come to a conclusion at that point. The exact form of that—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR RAMSAY: We are moving to the end of the industry.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, if it is not illegal to hold greyhound races, can you explain how the government intends to forcibly end an industry?
MR RAMSAY: The question started with an “if”. I am not accepting the “if’. There are a number of options, and we will work through towards the transition of the industry without jumping into hypotheticals.
Disability services—national disability insurance scheme
MS ORR: My question is to the Minister for Disability, Children and Youth. Minister, can you update the Assembly on the transition of the ACT government’s specialist disability and therapy services as part of the rollout of the national disability insurance scheme?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Orr for her question. Of course the ACT Labor government, like Labor governments and oppositions around the country, remains fully committed to the NDIS and would never consider holding the NDIS hostage for other policy goals.
I am pleased to advise the Assembly that the transition of ACT government disability services to the national disability insurance scheme has in fact been completed ahead of the planned schedule. In April 2014 in preparation for the NDIS the government made a decision to exit therapy services by December 2016 and to exit the provision of specialist disability accommodation services by the end of June 2017. As it stands, all Therapy ACT clients actually transitioned to the NDIS by the end of September last year, three months ahead of schedule, and individuals with an NDIS plan are now able to choose their therapist, giving them greater choice and control of the services that they are receiving.
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