Page 3286 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 October 2022

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previous budgets, some work to completely modernise the Children and Young People Act. That is in recognition of the fact that there is a lot of work to do to ensure that we build a more restorative child and youth protection system. We have been engaging with the community in that work, including, as one of the first pieces, a consultation process currently underway and almost concluded, led by SNAICC, about embedding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle more appropriately into the Children and Young People Act.

We have also previously funded a therapeutic court for child and youth protection services to try to find new ways to ensure that the legal processes around child and youth protection services are more restorative. We have also previously funded a duty legal person from Legal Aid to be present in the Childrens Court for child and youth protection matters to ensure that families can get the advice and support that they need, in recognition of the fact that these things often come to court quite quickly after emergency action is taken.

In relation to the Our Booris, Our Way review recommendations, we have previously talked about the fact that we just recently introduced legislation and funded the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people commissioner as well. So there is a lot of work underway in both the legal representation and advocacy space. We know that there will be more work to do. I think it would have been appropriate for Mrs Kikkert to acknowledge some of the things that were in the budget, rather than pretending that they were not there.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (11.15): That was one of the more unusual elements of a budget debate, when Mrs Kikkert stood up and said that this funding is not there and the minister stood up to explain to her and she just left the chamber. She did not even pay attention. It was an unusual approach to the budget debate, but there you go.

I just want to take this opportunity to say that, in the time since I previously spoke, I have been able to confirm, for Mr Cain’s benefit, that the Legal Aid lease has now been signed and executed. Legal Aid are definitely staying where they are, which was my earlier understanding, but I now have confirmation of that.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

ACT Executive—Part 1.16.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Cultural Facilities Corporation—Part 1.17.

MR COCKS (Murrumbidgee) (11.16): Under this government, we have seen scandal after scandal after scandal: the Campbell Primary School modernisation project; the CIT contracts; the ChooseCBR failure; the allegations of drug parties, inappropriate relationships and cover-ups at the Alexander Maconochie Centre; the Auditor-General’s report on West Basin; and, to add to this conga line of corruption


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