Page 1376 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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clinic and, of those, 73 were cases of sexual abuse. Those are salient and disturbing figures, and I hope that we can ensure that we deal with them through the promotion of resources such as this and the proper resourcing of those resources so that we are able to deal properly with the problems.
MR SPEAKER: I call Mr Stevenson.
Mr Stevenson: It is all right. Michael will speak.
MR SPEAKER: I call Mr Moore.
MR MOORE (5.30): The main point I would like to refer to and on which, had I had the time, I would have spoken at length is the lack of an effective database for the systematic collection of data relating to domestic violence. I think it is important that the Government note that there is a great need in this area. If we are to be able to measure the extent of the problem it is critical for us to form that base. According to research conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, it is difficult to estimate the extent of domestic violence because of the lack of suitable data. No relevant studies have been conducted in Australia. Phone-in surveys, which we have, are limited by the self-report status of the respondents. Statistics collected by agencies such as police, refuge and crisis centres are fragmented.
So the point that I would really like to make - and I would have given a great number of reasons for it - is that it is important for the Government to spend money on making sure that data is collected so that we can evaluate the extent of domestic violence and make appropriate political decisions.
MR SPEAKER: The discussion is now concluded.
AUDIT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990
MR KAINE (Treasurer) (5.32): I present the Audit (Amendment) Bill 1990. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, there is a requirement to amend the Audit Act 1989 in order to enable the ACT 1989-90 semi-government borrowing program to proceed. The Commonwealth and State borrowing program, agreed to by the Loan Council on 18 May 1989, provided a $43.326m allocation for the ACT, comprising $39.5m new borrowings and $3.826m maturing debt.
The previous Government had agreed that all semi-government borrowings would be raised centrally by Treasury on behalf of the Territory and the Territory authorities. My Government confirms this approach as being the most cost-
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