Page 1329 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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MR COLLAERY: I thank Mr Stefaniak for the question. I do recall also seeing Mr Berry on television accuse the Government of making knee-jerk decisions on welfare. That was a timely article by Joan Morris. It demonstrated the continuing development of new directions in family support and substitute care services in the ACT for children.
Discussions concerning a more appropriate range and mix of services for children in need of care in the community have been held during the past few months - they have not been knee-jerk decisions, Mr Speaker - with all non-government agencies funded by the Community Welfare Branch. In fact, I invited Mr Berry to attend a seminar in relation to that, so I was disappointed to see him on television attacking me personally for making knee-jerk decisions. He also attacked our Government from an ideological viewpoint, once again suggesting that we were moving away from care for the community.
Mr Speaker, the proposals that Marymead has now submitted cover a whole range of services. I am quite delighted to see that Marymead - a great institution in the ACT - is moving to broaden its range of services available to children and possibly to include more support services for families in crisis. Mr Speaker, this is an issue that I thought was largely bipartisan. I was disappointed on the weekend to see that we were going to move into a point-scoring exercise.
Water Pollution
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, my question is addressed to Mr Kaine as Minister for the environment. I would refer Mr Kaine to the article in the Canberra Chronicle of 24 April 1990 which is included in the circulated press clippings and which is entitled "Pollution Threatens ACT Waterways". I would ask Mr Kaine, as Minister for the environment, what action he will be taking to ensure that the Environment Protection Section's identified under-resourcing is rectified?
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, first of all, I have not seen the article to which the Leader of the Opposition is referring. I understand she said it was dated 24 April. That was the day before yesterday. Yesterday was a public holiday. I have not seen either the publication or the article. I have no knowledge of any under-resourcing. Perhaps, if the Leader of the Opposition has something more authoritative than an article in that particular journal to justify the assertion that there is under-resourcing, I will take it on notice.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I would ask a supplementary question. Does the Chief Minister, as Minister for the environment, undertake to investigate with the Environment Protection Section their statement of under-resourcing of their section and respond to the question?
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