Page 3534 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 September 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MRS NOLAN: I have a supplementary question. Who is going to employ the youth of our city if the tourism industry is substantially reduced in funding?
MS FOLLETT: I believe, of course, as all members here do, that the tourism industry is an extremely important one for the ACT. I expect that it will be a major employer of the youth of the ACT and it will be amongst a range of employers in the ACT. It is a significant one because they tend to employ quite a lot of young people. You will see that we have also taken some action to help that employment situation by bolstering funding to TAFE for high demand courses. That includes some hospitality courses. I take Mrs Nolan's point that the tourism industry will employ some young people. By virtue of the budget that I brought down it will be employing better qualified young people than might otherwise have been the case.
I truly hope, as I am sure all members do, that the initiatives in this budget will make sure that those young people find work in a variety of occupations, a variety of industries in the ACT, because our youth unemployment figures do not do great credit to the ACT. The current figure is over 20 per cent and at times has, in fact, exceeded the national average for youth unemployment. So, it is a question I do take very seriously. I expect that tourism will employ some of them. I expect that other industries will as well.
Behaviourally Disturbed Youth
MS MAHER: My question is to Mr Connolly in his capacity as Minister for Housing and Community Services. On page 16 of Ms Follett's budget statement and on page 133 of Budget Paper No. 5 there is reference to a new program to be established which will provide a daily activity program for young people with moderate behavioural difficulties. Ms Follett said that this was in response to problems identified during the inquiry into behavioural disturbance among young people. I find that statement very surprising, considering that we have just begun our deliberative stage and we have made no recommendations. My question is in regard to the money that Ms Follett has said was allocated. She said that over $210,000 will be allocated in a full year. Is it correct that that is the amount that was asked for, but in fact in this budget only $170,000 will be allocated to that project?
Mr Kaine: He does not know the answer to that one either.
MR CONNOLLY: There were two questions. Mr Kaine is often looking for "O" for occupation or flicking through the index. We are waiting for Mr Kaine to flick through to "S" for silly question. He has not asked me one yet; but it is there, Mr Kaine, it is waiting.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .