Page 1135 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 August 1989
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Arthritis Foundation
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister for Community Services and Health. Has he received letters from members and supporters of the Arthritis Foundation of Australia - ACT Inc. asking him for assistance in order to keep the foundation open? Has the Minister yet replied to any of these letters and, if not, why not? What action does the Minister intend to take on the matter, or is he going to sit this one out?
MR BERRY: I thank Mr Humphries for the question. If I take the last point first, Mr Speaker, Mr Humphries can be assured that I will, as I do on all occasions, resist the temptation to sit issues out, and I will be dealing with this one appropriately in the course of my duties. I have received a number of representations from members of the ACT Branch of the Arthritis Foundation regarding the funding provided for their organisation.
In 1988-89 the foundation received a grant of $10,520 from the ACT community health grants program, in line with the interim funding arrangements of which everybody is aware because of the introduction of self-government in the ACT. The funding was announced for services under the ACT grants program, and the foundation has been guaranteed continued funding at its current level until 31 December 1989. I expect that this will allow the foundation to maintain its current level of service to arthritis sufferers in the ACT.
The Government is currently considering a range of options for the future administration of these grants programs. Those options are aimed at making funding for essential services more secure and, of course, more responsive to community needs.
I anticipate that announcements regarding the arrangements for the 1989-90 grants process will be made shortly. Funding for the arthritis program from 1 January 1990 will be assessed in the light of the new funding arrangements and the identified priority needs of the ACT community.
Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, more in the way of a point of order than anything else - - -
MR SPEAKER: Is it a supplementary question?
Mr Humphries: It is a point of order initially, Mr Speaker. I know that you have expressed the view on past occasions that supplementary questions are to be avoided by members, and I accept and understand that ruling, but it is very difficult when questions are asked of the Government successively by different members on this side of the house and no attempt is made in reality even to answer those questions.
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