Page 3 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 22 February 1994
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MR BERRY: The issue of commercial-in-confidence contracts is one that has been raised here before. As I have indicated in this place, unless I had the agreement of the company to table commercial-in-confidence matters I would not table them. I have also informed this chamber before that the company is in agreement with the concept of offering no inducements, and I have tabled that letter. You are not entitled in the normal course of events to commercial-in-confidence documents and, no, they will not be tabled without the agreement of the company.
Ainslie Village
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Minister for Housing and Community Services. I ask the Minister whether he could inform the Assembly of what action the Government is taking in relation to the management of Ainslie Village and, in particular, the report of Mr Justice Kelly.
MR CONNOLLY: I thank Mr Lamont for his question. This is a very significant matter of public importance in the Territory. Ainslie Village is a vital facility in the ACT for providing crisis accommodation for persons in need of accommodation of last resort. Successive governments of this Territory have invested significant sums of money in the facility. The physical infrastructure there has had something like $11m invested in it in the last few years, both by the Labor Government and during the period of Mr Kaine's stewardship. Each year it receives government funding from this Territory and the Commonwealth of in the order of some $600,000.
Members would recall that last year I tabled in this place a report of an inquiry by Mr Justice Kelly, a former judge of the Supreme Court. Members would recall that the report said that it found in the negative against all the terms of reference of the inquiry, being whether Ainslie Village Ltd has operated in an efficient and effective manner, met its objectives as detailed in its memorandum of association, provided an appropriate level and type of service to the potential and existing residents, adhered to the relevant principles of the SAAP program, such as user rights, and given the staff and residents ample opportunity to be involved in decision making processes. As I say, there was a negative finding against each of those criteria.
I indicated at the time that I expected Ainslie Village Ltd to work with the Government to implement each and every one of the recommendations for reform contained in Mr Justice Kelly's recommendations. In the period since then the Government has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in implementing those recommendations. Members would be aware of significant public disquiet from residents of Ainslie Village. Indeed, I saw members of the Opposition on television joining them at the picket line. I was interested to see that Mr Cornwell then said, "Shock, horror! Mr Connolly cannot take sides in this dispute; he has to be the impartial umpire. But I, Mr Cornwell, will stand on the picket line".
Mr Cornwell: You have until the end of March to do it. I was not on the picket line.
Mrs Carnell: We just - - -
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