Page 1643 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 May 1990
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permanent feature of the ACT scheme, at least for the time being.
Interim arrangements are under way to make amends for the previous Government's failure to address the necessary policy issues and to provide adequate funding in the budget for that scheme. On 2 April of this year, 40 people with specialised transport needs were transferred from the waiting list to the scheme. I am very glad to see that we have been able to expand the operation of the scheme to that extent.
To maintain the operations of the scheme for current members and to provide access for those with special transport needs, it has been necessary to increase each member's contribution towards his or her next fare by $1 per trip. I do not, of course, like to see that kind of increase imposed, but in the circumstances I believe it is the fairest way of ensuring that the scheme is adequately widened to cover more people than it presently does. I might indicate also that this increase in the cost of each trip was the preferred option expressed at a public meeting of persons interested in this scheme in December last year. In consultation with consumer groups, additional measures are being developed at this present time to streamline the scheme so that equity of access for eligible persons can be assured on an ongoing basis.
School Consolidations
MRS GRASSBY: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr Humphries. Does he agree with the Residents Rally party spokesman, John Gagg, that the community has not been given enough time, sufficient information or an adequate framework to comment on school closure proposals? Mr Gagg says that the Rally really wants time for a properly considered debate.
MR HUMPHRIES: The answer in broad terms is no. I do not agree with that view. However, as Minister for Education in the Alliance Government which includes members of the Residents Rally, I am prepared to discuss the ways in which the Government might ensure that concerns of the kind expressed by Mr Gagg are properly addressed. The Government is presently examining the issues surrounding such things as the time available for members of the community to comment on the Government's proposals, the criteria that we released about three weeks ago and other issues that affect the way in which the Government will proceed with the program to consolidate schools in the ACT.
If there are better ways of ensuring that the community understands what it is that the Government is about, if there are better ways of ensuring that the community has adequate time to ensure that its views are properly conveyed to the Government and the Government has time to respond to those views, then of course we, as a responsible
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