Page 982 - Week 03 - Thursday, 23 March 2017

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… Community Legal Centres are set to lose about $35 million in federal funding … Other additional funding has been promised for Community Legal Centres, Legal Aid Commissions and other services that support victims of family and domestic violence.

Probably the consequence of this is that we could debate the numbers for some time. I suspect we all have a slightly different take on what they are. Rather than trying to thrash that out, where we have got to, particularly at Mr Hanson’s urging, is that I removed paragraph 1(f). I think we can settle on a motion that acknowledges the things that we do agree on, which is that community legal centres are really important and that, as the Productivity Commission has identified, there is no doubt that there is more demand there and that state and territory and federal governments could do more to meet that demand. That is the important point.

I particularly welcome the unanimous support to urge the federal government to reverse the planning cuts from 1 July. We know they will have detrimental impacts on community legal centres. We know community legal centres provide really important services. I think we can agree on that fact and move forward.

I thank members for their support for those couple of key points of principle, and I do implore the federal government to reconsider this decision as it prepares the budget for 2017-18 and beyond.

Question put:

That the amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 9

Noes 12

Mr Coe

Ms Lee

Ms Berry

Ms Orr

Mrs Dunne

Mr Milligan

Ms Burch

Mr Pettersson

Mr Hanson

Mr Wall

Ms Cheyne

Mr Ramsay

Mrs Jones

Ms Cody

Mr Rattenbury

Mrs Kikkert

Mr Gentleman

Mr Steel

Ms Lawder

Ms Le Couteur

Ms Stephen-Smith

Question resolved in the negative.

Original question resolved in the affirmative.

Sitting suspended from 11.56 to 2.30 pm.

Ministerial arrangements

MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (2.30): Madam Speaker, I advise the Assembly that the Minister for Health will be absent from question time

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